Mango & Sweet Sticky Coconut Brown rice

Usually travelling gives me inspiration to try out new food and recipes but for this dish I was inspired because of a friend who travelled through southeast Asia for a few months. So I have a few healthyfied Asian recipes on my sleeve coming soon!

Thai coconut rice, which is like the Asian form of rice pudding, is one of the most famous Thai dishes. Eaten as either dessert or snack, it is traditionally served with mango (a must), a thick and sweet coconut sauce and sesame seeds. Nee I say more why I had to have this? Drag me away.

I made sure, using just enough sugar in form of maple surup (just 2 tsp per serving) to let it pass as a healthy breakfast. While the flavour of the coconut rice is still amazing, I'm using waaaay less sugar than traditional recipes and also, maple syrup is a 'healthier' form of sugar than refined sugar.

Also, by using brown rice instead of regular white rice as is normal, you are getting in more fibre and other nutricional benefits.

This recipe is for 2 people, if you're preparing it for just yourself you can just pop half the cooked coconut rice in a bowl in the fridge to have it another day. It will stay good and flavours are even better when the rice is chilled.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

Coconut rice:

• 75 gr (uncooked) brown rice 
• 1 tblsp maple syrup (or use rice syrup or honey)
• 270 ml coconut milk 
• good pinch of seasalt

Toppings: 

• heaped tblsp sesame seeds
• 40 cashews
• 1 ripe mango

Coconut sauce:

• 4 tblsp coconut milk
• 2 tsp brown rice flour (or use cornstarch, potato starch)
• 1 tsp maple syrup (or use rice syrup, honey)

• Method:
• The night before: wash the brown rice until the water runs clean. Put in a bowl and cover with water. Let the brown rice soak in the water overnight (or for about 4 hours).
• The next day, get rid off the water and rinse the rice once more. Pop it in a pan with the coconut milk and salt. 
• Bring to a boil with the lid on top of the pan (important!) and immediatly turn to low heat.
  
• Let the rice simmer for about 25 minutes. The rice needs to absorb all of the coconut milk. Add some water if neccesary. 
• Stir regularly to make sure the rice does not stick and burn to the bottom of the pan. 
• In the mean time: put a  frying pan on low/medium heat and roast the cashews and sesame seeds until golden.
• Slice the mango in pieces.
• For the coconut sauce: warm the coconut milk (for the sauce) on low heat, stir in the rice flour and let it stand on the stove until it has thickened a bit. Take of the heat and stir thourgh the maple syrup. 
• Your rice is finished when the liquid is absorbed, the rice is sticky and soft (taste it to make sure). When this is the case, take of the heat and stir through the tblp of maple syrup.
• Serve the rice chilled (best) or warm, dress with the coconut sauce, sesame seeds, cashews and mango.

• http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/06/fluffy-coconut-rice-with-tofu-pillows.html