Xôi Xéo: Hanoi's Golden Breakfast
Sticky rice, mung bean, fried shallots. Three ingredients, one nap.
In Hanoi, xôi xéo is the breakfast you grab from a lady on the corner who wraps it in a banana leaf faster than you can say "cho em một gói." Here in the US there is no lady on the corner, so I became the lady on the corner.
Fair warning: this photo does not do it justice. I can cook, but my camera skills are still at the "blurry turmeric blob" level. Trust me, in real life it is glowing.
What Is Xôi Xéo?
Xôi xéo is a classic Hanoi street breakfast: sticky rice cooked golden with turmeric, topped with thin shavings of steamed mung bean, a drizzle of shallot oil and a pile of crispy fried shallots. The name comes from the way the mung bean ball is shaved ("xéo") into thin slices with a knife. It's cheap, filling, and the base is naturally vegan if you skip the meat toppings.
- Prep
- 8 hr
- Cook
- 1 hr
- Total
- 9 hr
- Makes
- 4 servings
Ingredients for Xôi Xéo
Sticky rice
- 500 g (about 2½ cups) glutinous rice
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp shallot oil (from the fried shallots below)
Mung bean
- 200 g (1 cup) peeled split mung beans
- ½ tsp salt
Fried shallots
- 8 to 10 shallots, thinly sliced
- ½ cup neutral oil
Optional toppings
- Pork floss (ruốc / chà bông)
- Sliced chả lụa (Vietnamese pork roll)
- A fried egg
How to Make Xôi Xéo
- 1
Rinse the sticky rice until the water runs clear, then soak it overnight (6 to 8 hours) in water mixed with the turmeric.
- 2
Rinse and soak the mung beans for at least 2 hours.
- 3
Fry the sliced shallots in the oil over medium-low heat, stirring often, until light golden. Scoop them out right away; they keep darkening off the heat. Save the oil.
- 4
Drain the rice, mix in 1 tsp salt, and steam for 25-30 minutes. I use my rice cooker to cook it (55 minutes)
- 5
Stir 2 tbsp shallot oil into the rice, then steam another 10 to 15 minutes until every grain is soft and chewy.
- 6
Steam the mung beans for 20 to 25 minutes until very soft. Mash them with ½ tsp salt while hot.
- 7
Squeeze the mashed mung bean into a tight ball with your hands (wet hands help), then shave it into thin flakes with a sharp knife.
- 8
Scoop rice into a bowl, cover it with mung bean shavings, drizzle with shallot oil and pile on the fried shallots.
Tips for the Best Xôi Xéo
- Don't skip the overnight soak. Unsoaked sticky rice steams into little rocks and then you have to pretend it's "al dente."
- The mung bean ball must be tight. If it's loose, you'll get mung bean crumbs instead of pretty shavings. Still delicious, less Instagram. (Not that my photos are Instagram anyway.)
- Pull the shallots early. The moment they turn light gold, scoop them out. Ten more seconds and they go bitter, and you'll be making another batch.
- The shallot oil is liquid gold. Keep extra in a jar for rice, noodles, or just to smell when you miss home.
Xôi Xéo FAQ
Can I make xôi xéo without a steamer?
Yes. Cook the soaked sticky rice in a rice cooker with water just level with the top of the rice. It comes out softer and less chewy than steamed, but it's a solid weeknight shortcut.
Is xôi xéo vegan?
The base is: sticky rice, mung bean, turmeric and shallots fried in vegetable oil. Just skip the pork floss, chả lụa and egg.
Where do I buy glutinous rice in the US?
Any Asian market. Look for bags labeled "sweet rice" or "glutinous rice." Regular jasmine rice will not work, no matter how hard you believe.
How do I store and reheat xôi xéo?
Keep the rice in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat it by steaming, or in the microwave under a damp paper towel. Store the fried shallots separately in an airtight jar so they stay crispy.
What My Friends Said
"Wait, this is just rice and beans? Why is it this good?" (a friend, on their second bowl)
"Can you make this every weekend?" (another friend, who did not offer to help with the shallots)
Xôi Xéo Photos
A bowl of Hanoi-style xôi xéo with crispy fried shallots
A bowl of Hanoi-style xôi xéo with crispy fried shallots, pork (thit kho) and eggs
A bowl of Hanoi-style xôi xéo with crispy fried shallots and veggies
By Secret Food · Published · Updated
