Mango with Sticky Rice

You'll need: 200g glutinous sticky rice, soaked and drained

Spread the soaked and drained sticky rice into your steamer basket or heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or a plate that fits snugly. Let it steam over a medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the rice halfway through with a spoon so it cooks evenly. The rice needs to be genuinely soft and slightly translucent all the way through, not chalky in the middle. That soaking time is doing real work here. Do not skip it and expect the same result. While the rice steams, move to Gate 02.

You'll need: 200ml full-fat coconut milk · 3 tablespoons caster sugar · half a teaspoon fine salt

While the rice steams, warm 200ml of the full-fat coconut milk in a small saucepan over a low heat. You are not boiling this aggressively, you are gently heating it so the coconut sugars and natural fats wake up and the milk becomes fragrant and slightly thickened. Add the caster sugar and fine salt and stir steadily until both dissolve completely into the milk. Keep it on a low heat and let it sit for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring every so often. This is where the sweetness gets activated and balanced with that salt hit, which is what makes Thai-style sticky rice sing rather than just taste flat. Low and slow is the move here. Set the sauce aside but keep it warm.

You'll need: cooked sticky rice from Gate 01 · three quarters of the warm coconut milk sauce from Gate 02

Take the cooked sticky rice off the steam and transfer it into a bowl while it is still hot. Pour about three quarters of the warm coconut milk sauce over the rice straight away and fold it through gently with a spoon rather than stirring aggressively. You want the rice to absorb the coconut milk as it sits, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature. Cover the bowl loosely and let it do its thing. The rice will go from just-steamed to glossy, slightly creamy, and deeply flavoured. This is the body of the dish and it needs that absorption time to reach its potential. Do not plate it immediately.

You'll need: remaining coconut milk from Gate 02 · 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or light brown sugar · small pinch of fine salt · 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Make the topping sauce. In a small pan over a low heat, warm the remaining coconut milk with the coconut sugar and a small pinch of fine salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens very slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes. This is the drizzle that ties the whole dish together when it hits the plate. It is richer and slightly more caramel-forward than the soaking sauce and gives the dish that layered coconut depth. Set it aside off the heat. In a dry pan over a medium heat, toast the sesame seeds for 60 to 90 seconds, tossing them so they do not burn. Pull them off when they are golden and fragrant.

You'll need: 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and sliced · topping sauce from Gate 04 · toasted sesame seeds from Gate 04 · small squeeze of fresh lime juice (optional)

Plate the sticky rice in a neat mound on one side of a wide bowl or plate. Arrange the sliced ripe mango alongside it generously, not as a garnish but as an equal part of the dish. Spoon the warm topping sauce over the rice and let it run slightly onto the mango. Scatter the toasted sesame seeds over the top. If you want an extra lift, a small squeeze of fresh lime juice over the mango right at the end brings brightness that cuts through the richness of the coconut. Eat this while the rice is still warm and the mango is at room temperature. That contrast is everything.