Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Sauce First

2 cup glutinous (sticky) rice, 2 cups of dry-soaked overnight in water or thin coconut milk and drained

2 cup cream of coconut

3/4 cup palm sugar, you may adjust the sweetness by adding more

1 teaspoon sea salt, you may adjust the saltiness

1 tablespoon rice flour, or tapioca starch some only called for 1/2 teaspoon

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (optional, for garnish only)

4 large mangos, ripe, peeled, halved, stoned

Possibles

2 cup coconut milk

1 cup cream of coconut

water for steaming

Directions:

1. Place two cups of the dry glutinous rice in a bowl. Rinse rice several times in cold water until water runs clear. Cover with 2 inches of cold water. (To get a richer flavor you can also soak overnight in coconut milk.) Soak rice in water for at least for 3-4 hours. It works better if you can soak it for 12 hours or overnight, then drain. This will make the sticky rice easier to cook. Cooking time for sticky rice varies according to how long the rice soaks. The longer you soak it, the faster it will cook.



2. Get water boiling in a steaming pot. Drain rice and transfer to a bamboo basket, or other steaming vessel, colander or strainer that can be suspended over boiling water. Place the cheese cloth or similar fine-weave cotton cloth inside the basket. Place the soaked rice in the basket on top of the cheesecloth.



3. Place the steamer about 1 inch or more above water in a sauce pan, be sure the bottom of the bamboo steamer does not touch the boiling water about 6-8 cups. Place a standard 8 inch lid loosely over the top of the bamboo steamer and cover. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a steady steam and cook 30 to 45 minutes. Add more boiling water to the steamer pan as needed to maintain original level. When done, the rice will be swollen and glistening, tender and translucent and will stick together when squeezed. Remove from heat, fluff up with a fork. (Other recipes say to put the rice in the steamer for 10-15 minutes or until the rice turns translucent.)



4. As soon as the rice is done, dump it onto a baking sheet. With a wet wooden spoon, working quickly and gently, spread the rice out into a shallow layer to allow steam to escape and speed up the cooling. When the rice is cool transfer it to a large pot or bowl and pour in the coconut cream mixture. Stir well, cover, and set aside for at least 30 minutes so that the rice absorbs the sauce.



5. While the sticky rice is cooking, in a heated saucepan, mix together 1 1/2 cups of the coconut cream, the sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Keep the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut cream aside. Make sure sugar dissolves completely. After the sauce boils set aside to cool.



6. Immediately after the sticky rice is cooked, and still hot, put the rice into the coconut sauce and stir well. It will look a little soupy. Cover for 1 hour and let cool. The rice will absorb the coconut sauce.



7. To make the topping, in a different sauce pan, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of coconut milk with the salt, sugar and tapioca starch and cook it on a low heat for 5 minutes or until the coconut milk thickens from the flour. Bring to a boil, then set aside to cool.



8. Pour milk mixture carefully over sticky rice, fluff up rice with a fork and allow coconut mixture to trickle through but not "drown" the rice (otherwise it becomes too gluggy and you lose the lovely translucent quality of the sticky rice).



9. Peel the mangos and slice the fruit into long pieces.



10. Allow rice to stand for 10 minutes. Turn out in a mound on a serving platter. To serve, put a bed of the sticky rice on a dish and lay the sliced mangoes on top. Pour the topping sauce over the sticky rice and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

(You can also roll the rice gently into golfball-size lumps and place 3-4 balls on a dessert plate with mango slices.)


11. May be served warm or at room temperature. The rice will keep for 6 to 8 hours at room temperature. Do not refrigerate. You may make individual servings of sticky rice and mango slices.