Vietnamese Red Sticky Rice (Xôi Gấc)

Vietnamese Red Sticky Rice (Xôi Gấc) is a traditional dish usually served at
special occasions such as Lunar New Year (Tết). Learn how to make it and serve
it in this post.

Servings: 6 people

Author: Sophie Pham

Course:

Appetizers and Side dishes

Cuisine:

Vietnamese

Keywords:

Lunar New Year Tet

🧂 Ingredients

1 3/4 – 2 cups sticky rice

(about 12-14 oz)
7 oz gac fruit seeds

(about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons rice wine

(or white wine, sake)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons oil
2-3 teaspoons sugar

(to taste)

Instructions

1 Rinse sticky rice under water and then soak in plenty of water for at least 2-4
hours or overnight. When you are ready to make the dish, drain the rice.
2 Place the red seeds of gac fruits in a mixing bowl. Add wine, salt and oil to
the bowl and then use a wooden spoon to stir and beat the seeds for 3-5 minutes,
or until the red arils are extracted and create a red paste. The dark seeds are
now exposed. You can watch the video in the post to see how to do this step.
3 Add drained rice to the red paste. Stir well to combine thoroughly. Set aside
for 5 minutes.
4 Transfer the rice to a steamer basket and steam for about 15-20 minutes. Then
open the lid of the steamer, sprinkle sugar over the rice and stir well. You can
taste and adjust with more sugar or salt to your likings. Steam for another 5-10
minutes or until rice is soft.
5 It is best to serve the sticky rice hot. If you are not eating it right away,
cover it to prevent the rice from drying out.