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Thailand, Asia · Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niao Mamuang)

Crispy Coconut Sticky Rice Cakes with Mango-Lime Salsa

A café-style dessert: coconut sticky rice shaped into patties, pan-fried in coconut oil until crisp outside and chewy inside, topped with a honey, lime and mint mango salsa.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time1 h 2 min
Soaking the rice+ 4 h
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Rinse the rice 4 or 5 times until the water runs almost clear, cover with cold water by 5 cm and soak for at least 4 hours.

    Add in this stepGlutinous (sticky) rice 150 g

  2. Drain the rice, spread it 2 cm thick in a 18 cm steamer lined with damp muslin and steam over medium-high heat for . Flip it over once halfway, cloth and all, and take it off when the grains are translucent with no hard centre.

    medium-high heat

  3. While it steams, warm the coconut milk, sugar and salt in a small pan over medium-low heat for , stirring until the sugar dissolves, and turn off the heat once it steams. Tip the hot rice into a bowl, pour over the sauce and fold it in with a cutting motion.

    Add in this stepCoconut milk 150 mlSugar 30 gSalt ½ tsp

    medium-low heat

  4. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for ; the rice absorbs the sauce and cools enough to shape. Make the salsa meanwhile: dice the mango into 1 cm cubes, finely grate in just the green zest of the lime, squeeze in the juice, add the honey and torn mint, toss gently and chill.

    Add in this stepRipe mangoes (medium) 1Lime ½Honey 2 tspMint leaves 8

  5. Lightly wet or oil your hands, divide the rice into 4 equal portions and press each firmly into a disc 8 cm across and 1.5 cm thick. Smooth over any cracks at the edges. The more tightly packed they are, the less they break when frying.

  6. Toast the shredded coconut in a dry pan over medium-low heat for , stirring, and tip it onto a plate as soon as it is pale golden. It burns in seconds, so do not walk away.

    Add in this stepUnsweetened shredded coconut 2 tbsp

    medium-low heat

  7. Heat the coconut oil in a 26 cm non-stick pan over medium heat and fry the cakes up to 4 at a time (number of batches: 1). Leave the first side untouched for until a deep golden crust forms, then flip and fry more. Add a little more oil for a second batch.

    Add in this stepCoconut oil (or neutral oil) 1½ tbsp

    medium heat

  8. Plate the warm cakes, pile the cold mango salsa on top and scatter with the toasted coconut. Eat straight away, while they are crisp outside and chewy inside.

Cook's tip

You can shape the cakes, wrap them and refrigerate them for a day before frying; in that case lower the heat one step and add 1 to 2 minutes so they warm through. Pineapple or passion fruit also works instead of mango.

Cooking it at camp

Shape the cakes at home, wrap each in plastic and keep them in the cooler; at camp you only need to fry them in a cast-iron pan or on a griddle. Toss the salsa just before eating so the mint stays fresh.