Xoi Lac, Vietnamese Peanut Sticky Rice
Xoi is Vietnamese sticky rice, sold from baskets and bicycle carts across the country as a breakfast that carries you to lunch, and xoi lac is one of the plainest and most beloved: rice studded with tender peanuts (lac is the northern word for peanut). Traditional xoi uses glutinous rice; soaked short grain brown rice keeps the chew while leaving the bran on, so it holds more fiber and more of the grain. The peanuts are simmered soft before they join the rice in the steamer, and the only finish is a scatter of toasted sesame. No oil, no salt, no sugar, and no coconut. It packs and travels well, and it is often eaten with a sprinkle of muoi me, the sesame and peanut salt.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups short grain brown rice, soaked 6 hours or overnight
- 1/2 cup Peanuts, raw
- 2 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
Method
- Simmer the raw peanuts in plenty of water for 30 minutes, until they are tender enough to bite through but not falling apart, then drain. Peanuts take far longer to soften than rice, so cooking them first means they finish creamy inside a grain that is only just done.
- Drain the soaked rice and toss it with the cooked peanuts. Soaking short grain brown rice is what lets it steam up sticky and chewy; a genuine glutinous rice is the classic grain, but soaked short grain brown gets close while keeping the bran and its fiber intact.
- Spread the rice and peanuts in a steamer lined with parchment or cheesecloth, poke a few holes for the steam to climb through, and steam over boiling water for 25 to 30 minutes, until the grains are translucent and tender. Steaming, rather than boiling, is how xoi stays firm and separate instead of turning to porridge; sprinkle over a little hot water halfway if the top looks dry.
- Pack the hot rice into a bowl or mound it on a banana leaf and press it lightly so it holds together. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they smell nutty and scatter them on top. The sesame is the whole seasoning, and the rice needs no salt, no oil, and no sugar to be a real meal.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 340 calories, 11 g protein, 6 g fiber, 8 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
