Vietnamese Sticky Rice with Hand-cut Mung Beans (Xoi Xeo) is just one of the countless treasures I’ve discovered in Vietnam’s vibrant food scene. I love that I can find delicious eats on the streets at any time of the day. It’s such a contrast to back home, where I have to whip up my own breakfast. Here, it’s a whole different story—whether it’s early morning or late at night, the street is alive with food options.
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Vietnamese sticky rice with hand-cut mung beans recipe
Vietnamese sticky rice with hand-cut mung beans, known as Xoi Xeo, is a traditional dish that showcases the delightful combination of glutinous rice and mung beans. This dish is particularly popular in Hanoi and is often enjoyed as a breakfast or snack.
The base of the dish is sticky rice, which is glutinous rice cooked until it becomes sticky. The highlight of the dish is the mung beans. I saw the vendor slice the mung bean block along an inclined angle. I guessed that’s why it was called hand-cut mung bean. The dish is then topped with crispy fried shallots.
The best part is besides this vegan Vietnamese Sticky Rice with Hand-cut Mung Beans, you can opt for a savory version with the toppings like bologna and finely pork or chicken floss.
I stayed with the vegetarian sticky rice with mung beans because I had enough meat for these days. Despite its seemingly modest size, Xoi Xeo is surprisingly filling. For me, it does the job for a good half day.
Here is how to make the vegan Vietnamese Sticky Rice with Hand-cut Mung Beans:
Vietnamese Sticky Rice with Hand-cut Mung Beans – Xoi Xeo
Ingredients
- 500 g glutinous rice
- 100 g peeled mung beans soak in water for 2 – 3 hours
- 10 g turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp cooking oil
- 100 g shallot thinly sliced
Instructions
- Soak the mung beans in water for at least 2 hours.
- Drain the water and cook mung beans in the rice cooker with 3/4 tsp of salt and a moderate amount of water.
- When the beans are cooked, incorporate 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and mix and mash them thoroughly using a spoon.
- Form the mung bean into a ball, making sure to tightly shape it when it’s still hot.
- Heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a pan over medium heat. Toss in the sliced shallots and stir vigorously over high heat. Once the shallot slices achieve a rich, dark yellow and a satisfying crispiness, turn off the heat. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up excess oil, allowing them to cool
- Rinse the glutinous rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
- In the rice cooker, combine glutinous rice and water (make sure it's about 1cm above the rice surface). Stir in turmeric powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook the rice until it achieves a sticky and fully cooked consistency.
- Once the sticky rice is cooked, add 2 tbsp of cooking oil and mix thoroughly.
- On a plate, take a small portion of sticky rice evenly. Thinly slice green bean balls using a knife and place them on top. Drizzle the dish with the excess oil from step 5, sprinkle with fried shallots, and enjoy.
Different types of Sticky Rice
Vietnamese sticky rice, or Vietnamese xoi, is a versatile and beloved dish that comes in various types, each offering a unique flavor profile and texture. Here are some popular types of Vietnamese sticky rice:
1. Sweet Sticky Rice is a colorful twist on the traditional version, often using natural ingredients like Gac fruit (red), pandan leaves (green), dragon fruit or butterfly pea flower (purple), and turmeric (yellow) for vibrant hues. Each color offers its unique flavor, creating a visually stunning and delicious dish.
2. Savory Sticky Rice (Xoi Man): A popular Vietnamese breakfast dish topped with flavorful ingredients like shredded chicken, Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, pork floss, Vietnamese pork bologna, quail eggs, pate, and scallion oil. It’s one of the most popular choices for breakfast.
3. Vietnamese Sticky Rice with Beans (Xoi Dau) is a delightful dish that combines sticky rice with coconut milk (optional) and beans (mung beans, black beans, red beans, black-eyed beans) or peanuts.
4. Cudweed Sticky Rice Cake (Xoi Khuc) is quite different from other sticky rice types. It’s made of glutinous rice flour blended with finely chopped cudweed leaves. Its filling consists of crushed steamed mung beans and succulent pork belly.
5. Fried Sticky Rice (Xoi Chien) is similar to a mini burger. The outer is the deep-fried sticky rice while the inner is the mixture of meat and vegetables. It’s served along with a special dipping sauce.
6. Sticky Rice with Crushed Mung Beans (Xoi Vo): A variation where the mung beans are crushed or mashed rather than sliced. This results in a different texture while maintaining the same flavor profile. Similar to Xôi Xéo but focuses on crushed mung beans instead of hand-cut slices.
7. Corn Sticky Rice (Xoi Bap): A delightful mix of sticky rice and steamed corn, providing a sweet and savory flavor profile. It includes glutinous rice with corn kernels, crushed mung beans, and garnished with fried shallots.
Pairing suggestions
1. Food pairings
- Bologna or Pork Floss: Add a savory touch with bologna slices or finely shredded pork floss, which brings a nice contrast to the sticky rice.
- Thit Kho Tau: This savory caramelized pork belly cooked in coconut juice pairs perfectly with the sweet and hearty flavors of sticky rice and mung beans.
- Coconut Milk: Drizzle a bit of coconut milk over the sticky rice for added richness and creaminess.
2. Drinks
- Fresh Fruit Juices: Mango or pineapple juice adds a fruity freshness that complements the richness of Xôi Xéo.
- Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Ca phe sua da): The strong, sweet coffee provides a refreshing contrast to the sticky rice’s sweetness.
- Herbal Teas: Light herbal teas help cleanse the palate and work well with the dish’s flavors.
- Hot soy milk
