Last Updated on April 1, 2022 by Chef Mireille
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Anyone who eats Thai food even if you’ve never step foot in Thailand knows about the famous dessert – Thai Sticky Rice & Mango. It is the most common Thai dessert option on most restaurant menus.
However, when I was in Thailand I discovered a different version that uses blue rice. You are probably wondering how in the heck do you make blue rice. This version is especially popular in Chiang Mai.
It starts with dried butterfly pea flower (aka blue pea flower). You first make an extract with the flowers and boiling water. This extract can then be used to create a variety of blue-hued food and beverages. You can use it as is with just a little sweetener as a beverage. However, it’s often used to make blue sticky rice.
In this sticky rice and mango recipe version, I have served it the way they do in Thailand with both the white sticky rice with mango as well as the blue sticky rice mango variation.
Table of Contents
When I went to Thailand in 2016, I had never seen or heard of butterfly pea flower. I had fallen in love with the Blue Sticky Rice I was eating at temples and restaurants, so when I saw it at Or Tor Kor Market, I purchased every package they had.
However, that has changed in the last few years. It is now very trendy to include butterfly pea flower tea in cocktails and mocktails. It is no longer that difficult to find butterfly pea flower in the United States.
You can now find the blue pea flower tea in tea shops, spice shops and other specialty markets. It’s also easily available on Amazon.
Recipe Notes
You can adapt the recipe from cooking the coconut sticky rice in a rice cooker and cook the rice stovetop or in an Instant pot.
There are several ways to serve Thai Mango Sticky Rice (Khao Niaow Ma Muang). You can either serve it simply by spooning the rice puddings in a bowl and then add the mango and mung beans on top. However, for a more glamorous presentation, you can layer the Thai sweet sticky rice puddings on top of one another.
Specialty Ingredients
- Glutinous Sticky Rice – Also sold as sweet rice. This starchy short grain rice is the same used to make sushi. The starch allows the rice to easily stick together as a pudding.
- Blue Pea Flower – Also sold as Butterfly Pea Flower, this is essentially a tea that is brewed with boiling water. Alternately, you can also purchase blue pea flower powder and follow the same process.
- Coconut Cream – This is the thick coconut cream that rises to the top of coconut milk. You can either purchase cans of coconut cream or refrigerate a can of full fat coconut milk. Once it is chilled, spoon the cream from the top of the milk.
- Pandan Essence – This is the main flavoring used in desserts in Southeast Asia. It comes from the leaves of the screwpine tree. If you cannot find it, you can easily substitute vanilla extract.
- Palm Sugar – A type of brown sugar used in Southeast Asia. Substitute firmly packed brown sugar if you cannot source the palm sugar.
Now it’s time to check the pantry to make sure you have everything else you need to make the most delicious Mango Sticky Rice recipe.
Ingredients
- blue pea flower tea
- coconut milk
- sticky rice
- pandan essence
- palm sugar
- coconut cream
- salt
- yellow mung beans
- fresh mango
How to Make Sticky Rice Mango Dessert
- Make the white sticky rice.
- Add the coconut cream and let it rest.
- Make the blue sticky rice.
- Add the coconut cream an let it rest.
- Toast the mung beans.
- Serve the cooked rice with the mango and toasted beans.
One of the best combinations of Thai Cuisine!
What to Serve with Thai Mango Sticky Rice
Here are a few delicious Thai Meals you can enjoy before dessert!
Thai Mango Sticky Rice Dessert
Ingredients
Blue Sticky Rice Ingredients
- 1/2 cup blue pea flower tea
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup sticky rice
- 1/4 teaspoon pandan essence
- a pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup palm sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
White Sticky Rice Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup sticky rice
- 1/4 teaspoon pandan essence
- a pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup palm sugar
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
Other Ingredients
- 1 mango diced
- 2 tablespoons mung beans
Instructions
- Place the dried blue flowers in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave for at least an hour. The longer you let it rest, the deeper the blue hue will be.
- Drain well to extract all the liquid, passing through a sieve.
- Rinse the rice in several changes of water until it runs clear.
- Pour the butterfly pea flower extract into a rice cooker with the coconut milk, sticky rice, pandan and salt.
- Cook until done.
- Transfer cooked rice to a bowl. Add sugar and coconut cream. Stir to combine.
- Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the white sticky rice.
- Combine coconut milk, rice, pandan, 1 cup water and salt in rice cooker.
- Cook until done.
- Transfer to a bowl. Add sugar and coconut cream. Stir to combine.
- Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- In a dry skillet, roast the mung beans until golden brown.
- Serve with mango and garnish with the mung beans.
Notes
- Serve in a bowl with a spoon each of the blue sticky rice and the white sticky rice. Add sliced mango to the bowl and garnish with the mung beans.
- Use a bowl or ramekin to mold each rice pudding. Stick them on top of each other. Add diced mango on top. Garnish with the beans.
Nutrition
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Wow what an interesting twist to Thai sticky rice and mango. Love the color butterfly pea flower lends to the rice. Does it add any flavor too??
What an amazing dish, absolutely love your creativity in playing with the ingredients:)
Love the color of the sticky rice.Looks like a scrumptious dessert.
Wat an amazing sticky rice, love the colour of the rice, so catchy and ultimate dessert.
First thing I never ever seen a rice in this beautiful color and such an interesting recipe….
That is a new ingredient, Mir. Lovely color and interesting dish!
Awesome Mir. I have had this plant at home but never knew that it can be used in cooking. The combination of mango, sticky rice and corn sounds so yum.
The Crunchy stuff on top is fried shelled Mung bean not corn, you can buy shelled mung bean at Asian market
thanks for letting me know. I will update the post!
Wow Mireille, what a beautiful blue coloured sticky rice. During my visit to Thailand I’ve tried several times butterfly pea flower iced tea but not a dessert using the flowers. Butterfly pea flower sticky rice and mango looks so delicious.
This blue sticky rice is especially popular in Chiang Mai so if you werent in that city, you might not have seen it!