← Nouns Cooking · Vietnamese

Ingredients

• 400 g Glutinous (sticky) rice
• ¼ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 2 pandan leaves, knotted (optional)
• 120 g Split, skinned mung beans
• ½ tsp Sugar
• 6 Shallot, thinly sliced
• 120 ml Vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp Coconut milk (optional)

Method

1. Rinse the rice and the mung beans separately until the water runs clear, then soak each for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain.
2. Toss the rice with the turmeric and half the salt. Steam it with the pandan in a lined steamer over high heat for 25–30 min, stirring once halfway, until tender and sticky. Stir in the coconut milk if using.
3. Meanwhile, steam the mung beans for 15–20 min until very soft. Mash them while hot with the rest of the salt and the sugar, then press firmly into a ball.
4. Fry the shallots in the oil over medium heat for 6–8 min, stirring, until evenly golden. Lift out onto paper; they crisp as they cool. Keep the shallot oil.
5. Scoop the rice onto plates, drizzle with a little shallot oil, then shave thin slices off the mung bean ball over the top. Finish with a generous heap of fried shallots.

Tips

• Pull the shallots out when they are light golden; they keep darkening off the heat.
• Many Hanoi stalls add slices of chả lụa or a fried egg on top, which makes it no longer vegan.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Delightful Plate Helen’s Recipes