Sticky coconut rice with palm sugar and mango

Serves 4

(LISA BARBER)

This is a dessert that I find irresistible. There is a little Thai hole-in-the-wall restaurant with a no-bookings policy at Bondi in Sydney whose name is Ploy Thai, where the cooking is exceptional – and this is the one and only dessert they offer. I almost look forward to going home to Australia just to eat this dish.

200g/7oz jasmine rice
375ml/12oz coconut milk
5 tbsp palm sugar
1 heaped tsp salt
4 ripe mangoes

Wash the rice and place in a saucepan along with the coconut milk and cook as you normally cook rice.

As the rice becomes tender to the bite (after about 20 minutes), in a separate pan gently melt the palm sugar and stir in with the salt until the sugar is well mixed through.

Taste and adjust the flavour if necessary – it should be sweet but with a pronounced salty taste.

Allow to cool to room temperature, then combine with the rice.

Just before serving, slice the mangoes and gently fold through the rice.