Coconut Pandan Black Sticky Rice with Mangoes

My daughter came over yesterday and said, “Mom you haven’t made anything with mangoes, this season”.

“We’ll change that, tomorrow”, I said.

There’s no end to the goodness in my kitchen when I bring home mangoes. I am seriously addicted. I eat one mango everyday (that’s what makes me gain weight in summer). In Canada we only get four varieties, Altaufo , Haden, Keitt and Manila. Keitt is terribly expensive but the other three are more affordable to buy. I love manila mangoes very much. Even their smell is superb! The flesh is super sweet and has almost zero fiber. To me this readily available fruit is as close as I can get to mango heaven. I knew exactly how I was going to use these in a recipe. We went to a Thai restaurant for my daughter’s birthday and since then the black sticky rice pudding was on my mind. Often served with mango, this is a totally exotic dessert that is so easy to make.  I love the creaminess of the pudding, and the color contrast between the black sticky rice with the white coconut cream and golden yellow of the mango.

So, what is this Black Sticky Rice?

The black sticky rice is  also called black glutinous rice Despite the misleading name, this rice contain no gluten.  It is an unpolished sticky rice, meaning the bran has not been removed, is purplish black in color, and has a chewy texture. Black rice has been eaten in South east Asian countries such as India, Indonesia, Thailand and China for thousands of years. Today it’s slowly picking up popularity across the world as people discover the numerous health benefits it contain.

Black rice can be found at ethnic or Asian markets. It comes in few different forms, often it’s a glutinous variety, but there are black Jasmin rice varieties as well. Black rice is high in fiber and anti oxidants. It has a distinctive sweet nutty flavor which is perfect to use for dessert. Black Thai rice is not Chinese Forbidden rice. Both are black but the Thai rice is extremely starchy when cooked and, it takes longer to cook, so some soaking in advance is advised. Otherwise just cook it longer.

While this recipe calls for some less commonly used ingredients, every single one of them is integral to making this dish as special as it is. If you cannot find Thai Black glutinous rice,  you can substitute with Chinese forbidden rice or substitute with a mix of brown rice and white sticky rice as it is typically easier to procure. The end result will be a thicker, light-colored dessert but will still be delicious. Typically, the type of sweetener used in this is palm sugar. Palm sugar is made from the sap of certain types of palm trees. It is nutrient rich, low glycemic, and dissolves and melts almost exactly like sugar while being completely natural and unrefined. I used coconut sugar. Even though it is not the same as regular palm sugar, it pretty much tastes the same. I know it’s really confusing. You can check this article to understand the difference.

The main flavor in this dessert comes from pandan leaves. You can find pandan leaves in the freezer section of Asian markets. If you can’t find pandan leaves, add a few drops of vanilla essence at the end of the cooking process. This dessert isn’t complete without the slightly salted coconut cream and mango topping.  The thick part that rises to the top when the can has stood undisturbed for sometime is the coconut cream.  As you eat, gradually stir the cream into the pudding, add diced mango and enjoy the sweet and salty interplay in each spoon!

Hope everyone had a nice mother’s day. My daughter made gluten free pizza for my lunch. Exactly the way I like, simple and rustic.