Xôi Xéo

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the glutinous rice under cold water 2-3 times until the water is mostly clear. Rinse the split mung beans separately. Soak the rice and mung beans each in their own bowls of warm water for 15 minutes; this short soak helps them cook within the time limit. Meanwhile, peel the shallots and slice them very thinly into even rings.

2. 2

   Drain the rice well, then toss it with the ground turmeric and 1/2 tsp fine salt until evenly yellow. Drain the mung beans well too.

3. 3

   Set up a steamer over boiling water. Steam the mung beans first for 15-18 minutes until they crush easily between your fingers. Tip: spread them in a shallow, even layer so they cook quickly and evenly.

4. 4

   While the mung beans steam, heat the 80 ml neutral oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots with a pinch of salt and fry gently for 8-12 minutes, stirring often, until light golden. Reduce the heat as they color; they will darken further after removal. Strain, reserving both the crispy shallots and the shallot oil.

5. 5

   Transfer the cooked mung beans to a bowl and mash or press them while hot into a fluffy, crumbly texture rather than a paste. Season with 1/4 tsp fine salt. If you prefer a more traditional finish, press the hot beans through a sieve for extra lightness.

6. 6

   Steam the turmeric rice for 20-22 minutes until the grains are glossy, tender, and chewy with no hard core. Halfway through steaming, sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of water over the rice and fluff lightly with chopsticks or a fork so it cooks evenly without compacting.

7. 7

   Transfer the hot rice to a bowl and drizzle over 1 tbsp neutral oil plus 1 tbsp of the reserved shallot oil. Toss gently to coat the grains without crushing them. The rice should look shiny and separate in soft sticky clusters.

8. 8

   To serve, mound the sticky rice onto plates, generously spoon over the fluffy mung beans, and finish with a thick scattering of crispy shallots. Serve warm. For the best texture, eat as soon as assembled.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •If you have time, soaking the rice and mung beans for 1-2 hours improves texture, but the 15-minute warm soak is the fastest practical beginner method.
• •Slice the shallots as evenly as possible so they brown at the same rate; a mandoline is helpful but not required.
• •Any extra shallot oil can be drizzled over the finished rice for more aroma.
• •Xôi Xéo is often eaten for breakfast, but it also makes a satisfying light lunch.

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