Make authentic Thai khao niao mun at home: glutinous rice steamed with pandan and soaked in sweet, salty coconut milk. The classic base for mango sticky rice.

Prep time: 15 minutesCook time: 30 minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings: 6 servingsDifficulty: Easy

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Khao niao mun is the sweet coconut sticky rice served all over Thailand, most famously with ripe mango. The rice is soaked, steamed with fragrant pandan leaves, and then folded into a warm mixture of coconut milk, sugar, and salt until every grain is glossy and rich.

Ingredients

  • 500 g (2 1/2 cups) white glutinous (sticky) rice
  • 1 teaspoon crushed alum (optional; a traditional Thai trick for firmer, glossier grains)
  • Water, for soaking the rice
  • 5–10 pandan leaves, torn and tied into a knot
  • 350 ml (1 1/2 cups) fresh coconut milk
  • 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  1. Rinse the sticky rice well. Add the alum, if using, and enough water to cover the rice, stir, and soak for at least 3 hours.
  2. Rinse the soaked rice again and drain thoroughly. Set aside for a few minutes.
  3. Put the rice in a steamer basket with the pandan leaves and set it over boiling water. Steam for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked through and translucent.
  4. Meanwhile, stir the coconut milk, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Add the hot steamed rice, mix until the coconut milk is fully absorbed, cover, and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Tips

  • Serve with sliced ripe mango, or use as the base for Thai sweets such as sticky rice with custard.
  • Skip the alum if you cannot find it; the rice will still be delicious, just slightly softer.
Thaisticky ricecoconut milkdessertpandan

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