Three-color Sticky Rice - Xôi ba màu

By Helen Le Published: February 7, 2014

  • Prep: 45 mins
  • Cook: 1 hr 30 mins
  • Ready In: 3 hrs 15 mins

  • Yield: 2 (4-6 Servings)

A super eye-catching and colorful dish that is made from only natural ingredients and no food colorings.

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Ingredients
Instructions
  • After soaking the glutinous rice for at least one hour or better over night, drain well and toss the rice with some salt.
  • Place the Gac seeds in a bowl. Add cooking wine. Wear on gloves and use your hands to squeeze the red flesh off the stones. You can remove the stones or save some to show authenticity. Add this to the rice and mix gently to fully coat all the sticky rice grains with red Gac.
  • Transfer the sticky rice into your steamer. Don't forget to line the steamer basket with a piece of banana leaf or parchment paper to prevent the rice from falling through the holes. Steam until the rice turn translucent, which might take about 20-40 minutes depending on amount, soaking time and type of sticky rice you use. Occasionally use chopsticks to fluff the rice to help it cook evenly. (You can also drizzle some coconut milk over the rice while steaming). Then mix the cooked sticky rice with sugar and vegetable oil.
  • If you cook in small amount (abt 1 cup), you can use a microwave. Add coconut milk (or water) just enough to cover the rice (liquid level same as rice level). Then cover and microwave for 5 minute. Take out and fluff the sticky rice with chopsticks. Then cover and microwave for another 5 minutes, or until it turns translucent and soft. Alternatively you can also cook in a rice cooker.
  • To make the yellow layer, cook mung beans in a rice cooker with just enough water to barely cover the beans. Alternatively, you can steam the beans for 15 minutes or until soft. Process the cooked mung bean in a food processor into a fine paste (or mash by hand using a spoon). Then mix the paste with sugar until well combined.
  • To make the green sticky rice, follow silimar instructions as for the red sticky rice, replacing Gac with pandan extract or paste.
  • To assemble the dish, fill the mold one third full with red sticky rice and compress. Continue with yellow and green layer. Then unmold to reveal the beauty of three-color sticky rice.

*More details on how to cook pandan sticky rice here (Cách nấu xôi lá dứa ở đây)