Xôi: Vietnamese sticky rice for breakfast

Xôi (soy) is Vietnamese steamed sticky rice, made from glutinous rice (gạo nếp) and eaten all over Vietnam as a cheap, filling breakfast, often wrapped in a banana leaf or paper to carry. It comes sweet or savory, plain or topped with mung beans, peanuts, coconut, fried shallots, Chinese sausage or shredded pork.

Here's a guide to the main kinds and an easy home recipe for mung bean xôi.

What makes xôi different from regular rice

Xôi uses glutinous rice, which turns chewy and sticky when cooked. Despite the name, it contains no gluten. Instead of boiling it in water, cooks soak it for hours and then steam it, which keeps the grains whole, glossy and springy rather than mushy.

Popular kinds of xôi

• Xôi gấc – bright red, colored with gấc fruit. It's a celebration dish, served at Tết, weddings and other special occasions because red stands for luck.
• Xôi xéo – a Hà Nội favorite: yellow sticky rice topped with a crumbly mung bean layer, fried shallots and shallot oil.
• Xôi đậu xanh – sticky rice steamed with mung beans.
• Xôi đậu phộng (South) / xôi lạc (North) – with peanuts.
• Xôi lá dứa – green, flavored with pandan.
• Xôi bắp (South) / xôi ngô (North) – with corn, often topped with mung bean and fried shallots.
• Xôi mặn – a Southern savory version piled with Chinese sausage, shredded pork, pork floss, quail eggs and scallion oil.

Sweet versions often get a sprinkle of sesame, sugar, shredded coconut or a drizzle of coconut cream. For dessert-style versions, see sticky rice desserts: xôi and chè.

Xôi for breakfast

In many Vietnamese cities, xôi vendors set up early with big baskets or pots of steaming rice. You choose a kind and toppings, and they scoop a portion onto a leaf or into a container. It's portable, filling and keeps you going for hours.

Equipment

You need a way to steam:

• A steamer basket or bamboo steamer over a pot
• A metal colander set over a pot with a lid
• Cheesecloth or a clean thin towel to line the steamer if the holes are large

Ingredients: mung bean xôi (serves 4)

• 2 cups (about 400 g) glutinous (sweet) rice
• ½ cup (100 g) peeled split mung beans
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk (optional, for richness)
• Toasted sesame seeds or crushed roasted peanuts, for topping

Allergens: peanuts and sesame if used as toppings. Savory versions like xôi mặn usually include fish sauce, soy and egg.

Steps

1. Soak. Rinse the glutinous rice until the water runs mostly clear, then soak in cool water for 4 to 8 hours or overnight. Soak the mung beans separately for 2 to 4 hours.

1. Drain and season. Drain both well. Toss the rice with ½ teaspoon salt.

1. Fry the shallots. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium-low heat. Fry the shallots, stirring, for 5 to 8 minutes until golden. Scoop them out onto a paper towel; they crisp as they cool. Save the oil.

1. Layer in the steamer. Line the steamer if needed. Mix the mung beans into the rice, or layer them, and spread loosely in the steamer. Poke a few holes with a chopstick so steam can rise through.

1. Steam. Steam over boiling water, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes. Halfway through, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of water and stir gently so the top cooks evenly.

1. Check. The rice is done when it's translucent, chewy and tender all the way through. Steam a few more minutes if any grains are hard.

1. Finish. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the shallot oil, the remaining salt and the coconut milk if using.

1. Serve. Top with fried shallots and sesame or peanuts. Eat warm.

Tips

• Don't skip the soak. Unsoaked glutinous rice won't cook through by steaming.
• No rice cooker shortcuts? Some rice cookers have a "sweet rice" setting, which gives a softer result. Steaming is more traditional.
• Leftovers harden in the fridge. Re-steam or microwave with a damp paper towel to soften.

Make it savory

For a quick xôi mặn-style bowl, top the finished rice with sliced Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng), pork floss, a boiled egg and a drizzle of soy or fish sauce. For a full breakfast spread, pair it with bánh cuốn or a strong cà phê sữa đá.

Soak the rice the night before; with that done, xôi is mostly hands-off steaming in the morning.