This butterfly pea mango sticky rice got its vibrant blue from butterfly pea flowers (known for their antioxidant). The sticky rice dessert is not just blue and pretty, but coloured naturally with ingredients that contain polyphenols.
Table of Contents
- A Classic Thai dessert
- About this Butterfly Pea Mango Sticky Rice
- What is Butterfly Pea Flower?
- Ingredients to make Butterfly Pea Mango Sticky Rice
- How to make Butterfly Pea Mango Sticky Rice
- Crunchy Toasted Mung Beans for Mango Sticky Rice
- How To Make Toasted Mung Bean Garnish
- Reheating Guide
- FAQs
- Recipes with mango you might like
- Recipes with glutinous rice you might want to try
A Classic Thai dessert
During mango season, Thai mango sticky rice is one of the childhood desserts I look forward to making.
Growing up in North Malaysia at my grandparents’ home, just an hour from the Thai border, we had easy access to fragrant, sweet Thai mangoes, especially from mid-year onwards. At this time of year, morning markets were flooded with Thai sweet mangoes, and my grandmother never missed making mango sticky rice.
Looking back, I think my love for sticky rice desserts, and maybe my sweet tooth, started right there.
About this Butterfly Pea Mango Sticky Rice
- You can cook the blue sticky rice in a rice cooker over a normal rice setting without soaking. It’s not traditional, but it is definitely the fastest and easiest way to cook glutinous rice if you want to skip the soaking.
- This method is for beginners or if you’re looking quick way to cook sticky rice. My family and I have been doing this many times when we need quick dishes with glutinous rice.
- The blue color on the sticky rice comes from boiling the blue pea flower in water, which is then absorbed by the rice during cooking.
- It takes about 40 minutes to make this blue pea mango sticky rice
✏️ Butterfly pea flower is rich in anthocyanins, the same antioxidants found in berries. Foods rich in antioxidants is associated with general well-being and are widely studied for their potential protective effects (1).
What is Butterfly Pea Flower?
Scientifically known as Clitoria ternatea, this flower produces a natural blue dye and is commonly used to color rice and desserts and to infuse drinks.
This flower is native to Southeast Asian countries. In Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei, Butterfly Pea is called Bunga Telang.
Since it’s pretty easy to grow, It’s common for households to grow this blue flower in their yard. Making a handy source of natural blue coloring for food. And for most health-conscious people, infusing it in tea is a common practice.
This flower is used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine, known for its anti-inflammatory properties.
Ingredients to make Butterfly Pea Mango Sticky Rice
- Glutinous Sticky rice – Glutinous rice is typically whiter and cloudier than regular white rice. You can find it in Thai marts or Asian markets. When buying, make sure it’s written “Glutinous Rice” on the packaging. Do not mistake glutinous rice for Japanese rice. Although they can both be sticky, they differ in flavor, texture, and stickiness.
- Butterfly Pea Flower – You can use either the fresh or dehydrated version, whichever is accessible to you.
- Ripe Mango – Sweet, ripe, and soft mango is the key to making the best mango sticky rice. Find the soft yellow or orange-ish skin when you press it with a finger. I usually pick the one with some black spots on the skin, but be mindful not to choose the bruised and overripe mango. If you are not sure, always check with the seller.
- Coconut Cream – I use it like readymade fresh coconut cream. Feel free to use canned coconut cream. If you use coconut milk made from scratch, use 3 times the amount of starch.
- Pandan Leaf – For an authentic Thai dessert flavor, don’t skip it. This aromatic leaf enhances the aroma of Mango sticky rice. However, if you can’t find it, skip it entirely.
- Sugar – Since I use a sweet mango, this recipe uses minimal sugar without overpowering sweetness. You can reduce or omit the amount of sugar.
- Salt – If you are not adding sugar to the coconut cream, consider reducing the salt to half.
- Tapioca starch – Used to thicken the coconut milk. Dissolve the tapioca starch with water first before adding it to the coconut cream when cooking.
Substitute for tapioca starch – Cornstarch. Use half the amount as tapioca flour. 1 tbsp tapioca starch = 1/2 tbsp cornstarch. - Crunchy Garnish – Crispy toasted Mung Bean (optional) – This gives a more authentic restaurant-style mango sticky rice. And I really love the added texture and mild salty flavor that balances the sweetness. I share below how to make the toasted mungbean garnish.
Substitute for garnishing – Sesame seeds.
How to make Butterfly Pea Mango Sticky Rice
- Extracting blue dye from the flower.
Boiling is the quickest way to get the color from the flower. Combine the flower and water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, remove the pot from the stove and let it steep for about 10 minutes before straining the flower.
Adjust the color accordingly. If you’d like the sticky rice to be lighter blue, consider reducing the amount of flowers. - Cook the sticky rice.
Start by washing the sticky rice until the water runs clear. Combine blue pea water with glutinous rice in a rice cooker bowl, even out the rice with a spatula, and set it to cook on a regular rice setting.
This will take about 30 minutes (depending on the rice cooker). While waiting, start cooking the coconut cream. - Make the coconut cream.
In a saucepan, combine coconut cream, tapioca flour slurry, sugar, pandan, and salt.
Stir the coconut cream with a spatula until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. It’ll take about 3-5 minutes.
Once boiling, immediately turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove. Transfer it to a bowl and leave it to cool. - Mixing parts of coconut cream with rice.
When the rice is partially cooked (10 minutes before it is fully cooked), add 1/4 cup of the cooked coconut cream into the rice cooker pot.
Gently fluff the rice and cream with a rice ladle, then close the lid and continue cooking. Meanwhile, you can prep the mango. - Garnish and serve
Slice the mango, and arrange it in a serving dish.
Scoop the rice and top it with crunchy and salty yellow mung beans for added texture (optional) – Scroll down to see how to make it. Drizzle the coconut cream and enjoy!
Crunchy Toasted Mung Beans for Mango Sticky Rice
Make an authentic Thai restaurant dessert experience by adding crunchy garnish to the blue pea mango sticky rice. I like making them extra and enjoy them as a crunchy snack, just like popcorn. Yellow split mung beans are a good source of protein and antioxidants, and they’re easy to make with just 2-ingredients – mung beans and salt!
Some recipes deep-fry mung beans, but you can also toast them in a dry pan without oil and still enjoy a similar crunch.
How To Make Toasted Mung Bean Garnish
- Wash the mung beans until the water runs clear, then soak them in a bowl of water for 4 hours (or overnight).
- Once the mung beans doubled in size, drain them through a fine-mesh strainer.
- Scoop a portion of the moist mung beans into a non-stick pan and toast over medium-low heat
- Stir continuously with a spatula to make sure they cook evenly. Do it until they turn golden brown.
- Season with salt and mix well.
- Transfer them into a jar, and it’s good to go!
Recipe:
- 1 cup yellow split mung beans
- 1 tsp of salt
Reheating Guide
When stored in the fridge, sticky rice tends to dry out and harden. There are two quick and easy ways to heat while reviving them to their soft, warm, and moist texture:
- In the microwave
- In a steamer.
How to reheat sticky rice in a Microwave – (without drying the rice)
- Heat a small bowl of water in a microwave for 1 minute.
- Transfer the heated bowl of water next to the sticky rice onto a dish.
- Microwave it (Auto reheat) for 2 minutes or until soft. The heated water in the microwave creates steam, preventing the rice from drying while it heats.
How to reheat the sticky rice in a steamer:
- In a steamer pot, bring water to a simmer.
- Place the sticky rice in a steamer basket
- Steam for 5-10 minutes, or until soft.
FAQs
Does glutinous rice contain gluten?
No, glutinous rice does not contain gluten and is completely gluten-free. Glutinous rice refers to its sticky texture, not the gluten. Gluten is a protein found in cereals like wheat, barley, and rye, which acts as a binding agent. So glutinous and gluten are two different words.
What are the differences between Japanese rice and Thai sticky rice?
Japanese rice is a short-grain rice commonly used in Japanese dishes like sushi. It contains less starch than Thai sticky rice, making it less sticky.
Thai sticky rice, on the other hand, is a medium-grain rice that is denser, chewier, and starchier, giving it a sticky, starchy texture. While both rice varieties have similar calorie content, Thai sticky rice may have slightly more.
Unlike Japanese rice, which is consumed daily, Thai sticky rice is typically used in desserts and celebratory dishes across Asia.
What are the calories in mango sticky rice?
Mango sticky rice calories vary from recipe to recipe. My Butterfly Pea Mango Sticky Rice is about 400 calories per serving.
What rice can be used to substitute glutinous rice when making mango sticky rice?
There is no ideal substitute for glutinous rice in mango sticky rice. However, glutinous rice comes in different varieties and colors. For a healthier option, you can replace white glutinous rice with black rice. Black rice is a type of glutinous rice, and it is rich in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Recipes with mango you might like
Recipes with glutinous rice you might want to try
Butterfly Pea Mango Sticky Rice – Rice cooker, no soaking
3
servings30
minutes1197
kcal40
minutesButterfly Pea Mango Sticky Rice with natural blue coloring that comes with antioxidant properties. The recipe is easy to make with a rice cooker without prior soaking.
Ingredients
1 Sweet and ripe mango
1 cup Glutinous Rice
7 g Dried butterfly pea flowers
1 1/4 cup Water
- Coconut Cream Sauce
1 cup Coconut Cream – no added sugar (250g)
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sugar (adjust accordingly)
1 piece Pandan leaf – tie in a knot (optional)
1/2 tbsp Tapioca starch – dissolved in 1 tbsp of water (for a substitute, see above)
- Crunchy Garnish (Optional) – scroll above for a photo guide
1 cup Mung Bean –
1/2 tsp Salt
Directions
- Extracting the blue dye from the flower. Boiling is the quickest way to get the color from the flower. Combine the flower and water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
Once boiling, remove the pot from the stove and let it steep for about 10 minutes before straining the flower. - Cook the butterfly pea sticky rice in a rice cooker. Start by washing the sticky rice until the water runs clear. Combine blue pea water with glutinous rice in a rice cooker bowl, even out the rice with a spatula, and set it to cook on a regular rice setting.
This will take about 30 minutes (depending on the rice cooker). While waiting, start cooking the coconut cream. - Make the coconut cream. In a saucepan, combine coconut cream, tapioca flour slurry, sugar, pandan, and salt.
Stir the coconut cream with a spatula until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil. It’ll take about 3-5 minutes.
Once boiling, immediately turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove. Transfer it to a bowl and leave it to cool. - Mix parts of the coconut cream with partially cooked glutinous rice. When the rice is partially cooked (10 minutes before it is fully cooked), add 1/4 cup of the cooked coconut cream into the rice cooker pot. Gently fluff the rice and cream with a rice ladle, then close the lid and continue cooking. Meanwhile, you can prep the mango.
- Make the mung bean garnish. This is optional, check above for the steps-by-step instruction
- Garnish and serve. Slice the mango, and arrange it in a serving dish. Scoop the rice and top it with crunchy yellow mung beans for added texture and a hint of saltiness. Drizzle the coconut cream and enjoy!
Notes
- Store the leftover sticky rice and coconut cream in a container with a lid in the fridge. To reheat sticky rice, follow the guide above.
- Soften the blue hue by reducing the amount of flowers.
- Choose ripe and sweet mango for the best flavor.
🥣 Did you try this recipe? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
2 Responses
It looks beautiful. I will try the recipe. How long can we leave it for at room temperature without coconut sauce?
Thank you. You can leave it at room temperature for the whole day on the day of cooking, ideally covered, since it can dry out when exposed to air. But I wouldn’t let it sit overnight.