Mango Sticky Rice

I found some great mangos today even though we're still a couple of months away from the mango season and had to make sweet sticky rice! This is a perfect snack or dessert. I used agave nectar to sweeten the rice, but, of course, brown sugar works great too.

Your usual rice is not going to work for this dish because it's too dry. I buy sweet rice at the Asian market and always have some on hand. One of your local grocery stores might carry sticky rice too.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sweet rice
• 1 3/4 cup water, divided
• 1 can coconut milk
• 5 tbsp agave nectar (can be substituted with 5 tbsp brown sugar) 
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 mango, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 tbsp black sesame seeds

Make the Rice

Soak the rice in one cup of water for 30 minutes.

Don't drain the water, but add 3/4 cup more water, 1/4 can cocunut milk, 2 tbsp agave nectar, and 1/4 tsp of salt when ready to make the rice. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium low until the rice is cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Make sure to keep the lid on to avoid evaporating of water. When the rice is done, remove from the heat, keep the lid on and let it sit for 5-10 minutes while you're making the sauce.

Make the Sauce

In a small sauce pan combine the remaining coconut milk (3/4 can) and agave nectar (3 tbsp). Warm it up on low. Stir well letting the agave nectar dissolve in the milk. Do not boil. Try for sweetness. If you like it a bit sweeter, add an extra spoonful of agave nectar. When the sauce is warm, it's ready to be served!

Place the rice in a small bowl, pour a few spoonfuls of sauce over the rice, place pieces of mango on top, and sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve warm. Enjoy!