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Xôi vò (mung bean coated sticky rice)
Fluffy glutinous rice steamed with fine mung bean crumbs so every grain stays separate and golden
Xôi vò is a Hanoi sticky rice offered at the altar for Vu Lan, the Buddhist full moon of the seventh lunar month when people honour their parents and ancestors, and again on the first days of Tết. Unlike most xôi, it is not a sticky mass: 'vò' means rubbed, and the soaked rice is rubbed with crumbled mung bean so each grain steams up separate, glossy and pale gold. It tastes mild, nutty and lightly salty, and is eaten with chè (sweet soup), a little sugar, or toasted sesame salt. Chef's tip: crumble the warm mung bean paste through a coarse sieve; fine, dry crumbs are what keep the grains apart.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the rice
- 1 ⅛ lb glutinous (sticky) ricesoaked 6 hours or overnight, drained
- 1 tsp saltsplit between rice and beans
- 2 tbsp neutral oilsplit
For the mung bean
- 7 oz split peeled mung beanssoaked 2 hours, drained
To serve
- 2 tbsp sugar (optional)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Steam 7 oz split peeled mung beans over boiling water for 20–25 minutes, until a bean crushes to powder between your fingers.
25 minStep 2: While hot, mash the beans with ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp neutral oil until smooth, then let cool slightly and rub through a coarse sieve or crumble with your fingertips into fine, dry crumbs.
10 minStep 3: Toss the drained 1 ⅛ lb glutinous (sticky) rice with ½ tsp salt, then add the mung bean crumbs and rub everything together with your hands until each grain is coated yellow. Common mistake: using wet, freshly mashed beans; they clump and glue the rice into lumps.
5 minStep 4: Spread the rice loosely in a steamer lined with a damp cloth, poke a few steam holes with a chopstick and steam over high heat for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 5: Tip into a bowl, sprinkle with 2–3 tbsp water and 1 tbsp neutral oil, toss with chopsticks to separate the grains, and return to the steamer.
3 minStep 6: Steam for 10–15 minutes more, until the grains are fully soft with no hard core when bitten, yet dry and separate. Fluff with chopsticks and serve warm with 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 80 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does xôi vò (mung bean coated sticky rice) take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 65 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
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