Mango Black Rice Cakes

Featured Ingredient: Palm Sugar + Navitas Giveaway

Mango sticky rice is hands down my favorite sweet treat at the night street markets in Thailand. Silky mango placed on a bed of coconut soaked sticky rice – I think that alone is worth the airfare.

This fun muffin tin riff uses antioxidant packed whole-grain black rice to up the health ante and add a visual wow factor. Recent research suggests that black rice, also called Forbidden Rice by Lotus Foods, contains an antioxidant prowess on par with fruits like blueberries. Black rice is not the same as wild rice, which is a longer grain rice with a much different flavor.

Much of the sweet delights in Southeast Asia are sweetened with coconut palm sugar. To make this granulated sugar, nectar from coconut palm flowers is boiled into a thick syrup, then dried and ground to produce a granulated sweetener with a flavor reminiscent of caramel. Palm sugar has a lower glycemic index and more complex flavor than white sugar and may contain several nutrients found in coconut palms. You can use it a as measure for measure replacement for white sugar in almost any recipe. But to keep the coconut milk topping white for presentation purposes in this recipe, you may want to use a light colored natural cane sugar such as Florida Crystals instead of brown tinged coconut.

If possible, use the yellow skin Ataulfo mangos which have a stringless flesh that melts in your mouth. Even if working with silicon muffin cups, it’s a good idea to give them a light greasing or use paper liners so no rice is left behind at the bottom.

As is the case every Wednesday, it’s time for another Muffin Tin Mania product giveaway. The kind folks over at Navitas Naturals would like to award one of my readers with some of their excellent palm sugar to try out in this recipe or other baked goods.

To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post that says “I’d climb a palm tree for mango sticky rice” along with some way of identifying yourself such as your initials, name or email address and I will use this online tool to randomly select a winner. I’ll announce the winner next Wednesday September 26th, so if you entered write the date down on your calendar and check back in then for a chance to claim your prize. This contest is only open to Canadian and U.S residents.

Thank you everyone for entering this contest. Congratulations to Susan S who was the random winner of this palm sugar giveaway. Susan, just send me your shipping details and I'll get some Navitas Coconut sugar sent your way. 

Mango Black Rice Cakes

2/3 cup black rice

1 large egg

1 cup + 2/3 cup coconut milk

1/3 cup coconut palm sugar

2 tablespoons light colored granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ripe mangos, peeled and diced

In a small saucepan, combine rice with 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduced heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes, or until tender and most of the water has been absorbed. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, lightly beat egg. Stir in cooked rice, 1 cup coconut milk, coconut sugar, ginger and vanilla. Divide among 6 medium sized muffin cups and cook for 20 minutes, or until set. Let cool several minutes before unmolding.

When ready to serve, combine 2/3 cup coconut milk and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until a slight simmer is reached and sugar has dissolved. Place black rice cakes on serving plates and serve with warm coconut milk and mango.