Homemade Xoi Gac (Vietnamese Red Sticky Rice)

Xoi Gac served on a banana leaf with a black sesame topping.

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Homemade Xoi Gac (Vietnamese Red Sticky Rice)

Xoi Gac or Vietnamese Red Sticky Rice is often made for Lunar New Year or Tet in Vietnam. Glutinous rice is dyed red thanks to the addition of Gac and then sweetened slightly with sugar. It is the perfect addition to your New Year celebration, symbolizing good luck and vitality for the upcoming year.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Soaking Time4

Course: Dessert, Dinner, Snack

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Vietnamese red sticky rice, xoi gac, xoi gac recipe

Servings: people

Calories: 434kcal

Author: Becca Du

Equipment

Ingredients

Xoi Gac

2 cups glutinous rice
1 cup Gac paste frozen, see note 1 if using fresh gac
2 tbsp sake or white wine
½ tsp salt
4 tsp granulated sugar

Toppings (Optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Rinse 2 cups of glutinous rice until the water runs clear (4-5 times). Add the rice to a bowl and fill it with water until it just covers the rice. Let the rice soak for 4 hours or overnight. If at any point, the rice starts to look too dry, add more water. Place the bowl in the fridge if soaking overnight.
The next day, drain the rice and set aside.
Strain 1 cup of Gac paste to get rid of excess liquid.
Add the Gac paste to a bowl with the glutinous rice, 2 tbsp of sake, and ½ tsp of salt. Stir until well combined.
Prep your steamer by bringing water to a simmer and adding the steamer insert. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the steamer insert. I like to poke holes in the parchment paper to help the steam come through.
Scoop the rice into the steamer, and steam for 20 minutes until rice is cooked through. Once done, try a little to test for doneness and continue cooking if it needs more time.
Add 4 tsp of granulated sugar and mix until combined.
Break down 2 tbsp of black sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle. If you don't have one, use a bowl and the back of a knife.
Combine the black sesame with 1 tsp of granulated sugar and a pinch of salt.
Serve rice with black sesame topping. Enjoy!

Notes

Using fresh Gac. If you are using the fruit, this is what you do. Cut the fruit open and take out 10-12 seeds. Mix it together with the sake, a teaspoon of oil, and salt until a red paste forms. The seeds should separate at this point so fish them out, and save a few for decoration at the end. Then proceed to mix together with the rice before steaming.
Adjusting the sweetness. Feel free to use more sugar to make it sweeter or less sugar to make it less sweet.

Nutrition