One of our most cherished traditions is to block Monday nights as a time to spend it together learning, chatting, and having fun as a family. Monday night is Family Night!

The practice of blocking time for our family is very enriching and promotes family unity. Since our family motto is “Become ONE,” family night is definitely a must for us, and it’s hands-down one of the best ways to create a sense of togetherness in our home.

Even though it’s pretty much a family event, we sometimes invite friends over and we just learn with them and from them, too. On those special days, we often make a healthy vegan treat or dessert.

One of the most popular vegan desserts I’ve made is actually one I used to order every time I go to a Filipino, Thai, or Indonesian restaurant, and I was actually scared to make on my own. But I guess my Filipino ancestors were watching over me, because it turned out amazing – or so they said LOL.

Here’s your grocery shopping list (it’s a very inexpensive treat!):

• Short grain white rice
• Coconut Milk
• White Sugar
• Salt
• Arrowroot Powder
• Mangoes

How To Make Sticky Rice 

Get a small bag of short grain white rice or medium grain white rice at your nearest grocery store. These are starchier than long-grain, and, thus better for the stickiness you desire. You can usually find white rice at the Asian or Hispanic aisles. I’m both Asian and Hispanic, so that’s probably why I love rice so much!

Soak 3 cups of your rice for 30 minutes to 4 hours. We’ve found that the longer it soaks, the better it tastes, because it absorbs the coconut milk!
Fill a large pot with 4 cups of water and bring it to a boil.
Drain the rice and add it to the boiling water.
Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it cook for 15-20 minutes (the water will have evaporated).

Meanwhile… in another pot…

Combine 3 cups of coconut milk, 2 cups of white sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Mix everything together and cook over medium heat, consistently stirring the mixture to prevent it from getting scorched. This will take about the same time it takes the rice to cook (15-20 minutes).

Making Your Sticky Rice With Mango Dessert

When both the sticky rice and the coconut milk are ready, you will pour the coconut milk mixture into the rice, and stir it using a spatula.

Turn the heat off and let the seasoned rice sit for about an hour or so. This will allow for the rice to soak up the yummy coconut flavor.

Arrowroot Sauce 

Another optional sauce you can add to your coconut sticky rice is made up of arrowroot powder. Here’s how you do it:

1 cup of coconut milk
2 tablespoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder

Combine and stir everything together with a spoon. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly to avoid curdling.

Sticky Rice And Mango Yumminess

I used my Saladmaster machine to slice the mangoes, so I didn’t have to peel or slice them.

To do it manually, peel 4 mangoes, remove the seed, and cut into thin slices.

You will then scoop your sticky rice onto serving plates, decorate with the mango slices, drizzle the arrowroot sauce over the mangoes and rice, and prepare to receive compliments and hugs.

To sum up: soak the rice, cook the sticky rice and coconut sauce at the same time. Cook the arrowroot sauce while you prep the mangos, and enjoy!

Have you ever had sticky rice with mango before? I’d love to know what you think about this delicious vegan dessert recipe!

[ela]