Who doesn’t love mango, and when combined with glutinous  rice – it tastes divine!

 I have loved this dessert since I ate it in Bangkok about 25  years ago. It was my first visit then,  and my friendly  Thai guide insisted that this was a dessert that I had to eat.  Indeed, it was really  delicious and it still is one of my  favourite til’ today.

 Recently, I happened to receive a huge mango from Yangon,  and instantly thought of making  this dessert. Now, I have  done this many times in the typical Thai way, but I tried a  new  healthier version and it was divine too! The secret lies in  the virgin coconut oil – a tiny amount  goes a long way.

 So here it goes – I am sure you will agree that not only is it a  fragrant dish, but it tastes  absolutely yummy as well.

INGREDIENTS

300g white glutinous rice
2 pandan leaves – cleaned and knotted*
1 tsp virgin coconut oil**
2 tbsp hot water
½ cup coconut cream
1 tsp icing sugar
½ tsp salt, plus a little extra to taste

METHOD

Remove any impurities from the rice, rinse and soak in water for about 1 hour.

Drain the rice and put onto a steamer, add ½ tsp salt, mix and add the 2 knotted
pandan leaves. Steam for 15 minutes or until cooked.

Remove from the heat, place the rice in a bowl and add 1 tsp of virgin coconut oil.

Mix well and keep aside.

Pour 2 tbsp of hot water to the coconut cream, add a pinch of salt and the icing sugar.

Keep aside.

Cut the mango to your desired size, either small squares or into slices.

Now for the act to come together: Get a nice palm size helping of the rice, place on a serving plate, and then place the mangoes on it. Pour the coconut cream over it. Enjoy!

* Tie a simple knot in the pandan leaf – it becomes small enough to throw into a rice pot or steamer, and releases its oils into the food better
** Virgin coconut oil can be obtained from the health food section in larger supermarkets, or in health food stores