Xoi

Ingredients

Rice

• 600 gglutinous rice, gao nep
• 1 tspsalt

Xoi xeo, the classic

• 150 gsplit mung beans, soaked
• 1 tspturmeric
• 3shallots, fried crisp
• 3 tbspof the shallot oil

Or savoury

• shredded chicken
• Chinese sausage, lap xuong
• cha lua, pork sausage
• dried shrimp floss, ruoc

Or sweet

• coconut milk
• sugar
• toasted sesame and peanut, ground with sugar and salt

Equipment

• a steamer with a cloth-lined basket
• or a chõ, the Vietnamese steamer

To serve

• hot, wrapped in banana leaf, from a dawn basket

Directions

1. Use glutinous rice, gao nep, which is a different grain from ordinary rice. Soak the rice in plenty of cold water for at least 6 hours, and overnight is better.
2. Add a teaspoon of salt to the soaking water, which seasons it right through. Drain it thoroughly and let it sit in the colander for 10 minutes.
3. Drain it properly, since surface water makes the finished rice claggy. Xoi is steamed, never boiled or cooked in a rice cooker with water. Line the steamer basket with cloth or banana leaf and spread the rice in an even layer. Make a few holes through the rice with a chopstick.
4. Steam over a rolling boil for 25 to 30 minutes. After about 20 minutes, tip the rice into a bowl, fork it through, and sprinkle over a little water or coconut milk.
5. Steam the soaked mung beans separately until soft, then pound or blend them into a smooth paste while hot. Roll the mung bean paste into a firm ball and let it cool. Then shave thin slices off it over the rice with a knife, in a sweeping motion.
6. Scatter crisp fried shallots over and spoon a little of the shallot oil across. It carries the aroma and it stops the rice drying out, and vendors are generous with it.
7. Serve it hot, in a bowl or wrapped in banana leaf. It keeps the rice warm and moist and it perfumes it faintly, and vendors wrap and fold it in seconds.

Technique

• Glutinous rice is a different grain and cannot be substituted.
• Xoi gac, coloured with gac fruit, is the celebration version.
• It is offered at ancestor altars before it is eaten.

Substitutions

• Any glutinous or sweet rice from an Asian shop.
• Banana leaf or baking paper for wrapping.

Variations

• Xoi xeo, with mung bean and fried shallot.
• Xoi gac, red for celebrations.
• Sweet, with coconut milk and sesame peanut salt.

History

Steamed glutinous rice sold from dawn baskets in sweet and savoury versions, and placed on ancestor altars as an offering.

Frequently asked questions

What is Xoi?

Xoi is a breakfast from Vietnam: sticky rice with toppings from mung bean to shredded chicken. Steamed glutinous rice sold from dawn baskets in sweet and savoury versions, and placed on ancestor altars as an offering.

How long does Xoi take to make?

Xoi takes 20 min plus overnight soaking of preparation and 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Xoi?

Yes, within limits. Any glutinous or sweet rice from an Asian shop. Banana leaf or baking paper for wrapping.

What is the most important thing to get right in Xoi?

Drain it properly, since surface water makes the finished rice claggy. Xoi is steamed, never boiled or cooked in a rice cooker with water. Line the steamer basket with cloth or banana leaf and spread the rice in an even layer. Make a few holes through the rice with a chopstick.