Xôi Khúc, or Vietnamese Sticky Rice and Spinach Balls, is a popular dish from Northern Vietnam. Spinach dumplings filled with mung bean and pork belly are steamed with sticky rice for a chewy, sweet, and savory delight. Though there are a lot of steps, this homemade recipe is easier than it looks!
Jump to:In Vietnamese, "xôi" translates to "sticky glutinous rice" and "khúc" refers to the vegetable that is originally used to make the green dumplings. Even after asking my parents, they didn't know the directly translation of khúc or what the original vegetable was. But according to some, cudweed leaves were originally used for its green color and grassy, bitter flavor.
Both of my parents are originally from Hanoi, Vietnam and I grew up eating Xôi Khúc (also called Bánh Khúc or Xôi Cúc) for breakfast. The peppery mung bean and pork filling perfectly complimented the chewy green wrapper that's studded with sticky rice. You can easily find these in Vietnamese cafés and bánh mi stores, or in street carts throughout Hanoi.
Once you make it at home, Xôi Khúc will become a family favorite! Try it along with Vietnamese Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage (Xoi Lap Xuong) and Vietnamese Sticky Rice with Peanuts (Xoi Dau Phong) and you'll become a sticky rice expert in no time!
⬇️ Please scroll down to the recipe card to see full ingredient amounts and instructions.
STEP ONE: First, soak the sticky rice in room temperature water for at least 4 hours, best if overnight. No need to soak the mung beans.
STEP TWO: Next, prepare the fresh ingredients for Xôi Khúc to have everything ready. Finely chop the pork belly, shallot, and green onion.
STEP THREE: Start preparing your wrapper. Add spinach and hot water to a blender, then purée until spinach is wilted and water is green.
Then pour through a strainer to collect just the water. You should have ¾ cup liquid.
STEP FOUR: In a large bowl, add sweet rice flour, rice flour, oil, and salt. Lightly mix to combine.
Pour in half the spinach water and start to work it into the flour. It'll look dry and crumbly at first - add in 1 tablespoon liquid at a time until a dough forms. Be careful not to add too much water or else it'll become too sticky. I usually add a total of ~½ cup but it'll ultimately depend on the brand of flours you use.
Knead the dough until smooth. The texture should resemble play-doh and shouldn't stick to your fingers when pressed. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
STEP FIVE: Next, cook the mung beans. To a pot, add mung beans, water, and salt. Bring to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down to medium.
Simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Then take it off the heat and set aside. The beans should look plump and soft, and still be mostly submerged in water. Do not drain.
STEP SIX: Add pork belly to a cold skillet, along with salt and pepper (no oil needed). Heat over medium to medium-high heat until golden, about 3 minutes.
Then add shallots and sweat for 2 minutes until lightly translucent.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked mung beans to the pan. Use the flat side of your spoon to mash the beans while stirring to dry out. This will take some patience, about 4-5 minutes, but continue to mash until it becomes a paste.
Turn heat down to low and add green onion, sugar, and pepper. Stir and season to taste. Then turn off the heat and let cool.
STEP SEVEN: Once cool enough to handle, use a 3 tablespoon cookie scooper to divide the mung bean filling into 5 portions. Use a 1½ tablespoon cookie scooper to divide the green dough into 6 portions. The 6th portion will be the scrap pile.
STEP EIGHT: To make assembling the Xôi Khúc easier, I recommend using food-safe gloves. Wet both hands with a little oil. Then flatten a ball of green dough as thin as possible against your hand. Place a yellow ball in the center.
Pull a small piece of dough from the scrap pile and place it on top. Flip your hand upside down to carefully wrap the sides of the green dough around the filling. Lightly pinch together the dough to enclose the filling.
Roll the ball between your hands to smooth out and form a ball. Repeat with the remaining 4 balls.
STEP NINE: Drain the sticky rice and add to a clean bowl with salt. Spread ⅓ of the rice onto the bottom of a parchment paper or cheesecloth-lined steamer.
STEP TEN: Roll each ball into the rice, gently pressing with both hands to get the rice to stick. Place each ball in the steamer, making sure to not let them touch.
Cover with parchment paper or damp cheesecloth and close steamer. Steam the Xôi Khúc for 40 minutes over medium heat.
Storing: Let the Vietnamese Sticky Rice and Spinach Balls cool completely first. Then store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Let cool completely, then portion out Bánh Khúc into individual servings. Place on a baking or cookie sheet spaced apart, then par-freeze until solid. Wrap in parchment paper, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Place Xôi Khúc on a plate and cover with a wet paper towel or plastic wrap. Microwave in 1 minute intervals until steaming hot, adding 1-2 minutes if reheating from frozen.
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Link nội dung: https://wordplay.edu.vn/xoi-cuc-a69007.html