Xôi Khúc (Vietnamese Sticky Rice and Spinach Balls) (2024)

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!

🍚 What is Xôi Khúc?

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!

Why You'll Love It

• Easier than it seems: Look at the long ingredient list and you might be intimidated by this authentic Vietnamese recipe. But I give plenty of tips, visual cues, and details to make sure your Xôi Khúc succeeds!
• Versatile: Enjoy it for breakfast like my family does or as a quick after-school snack. It's also portable enough to pack along for a road trip or picnic!
• Flavorful: In Xôi Khúc, mung beans are mashed into a paste that contains green onion, fatty pork belly, and plenty of pepper. Wrap it into a chewy spinach wrapper and cook it with sticky rice for a flavor and texture explosion!

🧂 Ingredients

• Sticky (glutinous) rice: This short-grain rice has more starch than typical rice, which makes its extra chewy and sticky when cooked. It can be labeled as sweet, glutinous, or sticky rice. My grandma and mom have been using the same brand for years, Koda Farms Sho-Chiku-Bal.
  • Tip: Sticky rice must be soaked for several hours or else it won't cook properly.
• Mung beans: Make sure to use peeled and split mung beans for Xoi Khuc. They should be bright yellow, whereas whole mung beans are green. They are very affordable at Asian markets and can be found in the beans and rice aisle.
• Spinach: To dye the wrapper green. I prefer spinach because of its accessibility and neutral flavor.
• Sweet (glutinous) rice flour: Bột nếp is the main ingredient for the dumpling wrapper. It provides a chewy texture (think mochi). Make sure to fluff the flour before measuring. I recommend the brand Erawan.
• Rice flour: A touch of bột gạo tẻ prevents the wrapper from being too sticky and hard to handle. I like the brand Erawan for this flour too.
• Oil: To create a shiny wrapper. Also helps prevent the dough from sticking to your hands. Use a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, or avocado oil.
• Pork belly: Adds a fatty, hearty element in the mung bean balls. Pork shoulder would also work. Try to use a piece that has more meat than fat.
• Shallot and green onion: For mild savory flavor in the filling.
• White sugar: Balances the flavor in the filling.
• Optional toppings: fried shallots. You can purchase them or make your own with my recipe that's in Taiwanese Turkey Rice.

Substitutions & Variations

• Since the spinach is mainly used for color, feel free to replace it with any other leafy green vegetable in Bánh Khúc. Be careful because some cooked vegetables become bitter (such as kale, mustard or collard greens, or arugula).
• Replace pork belly with bacon or pancetta for smoky, more intense porky flavor. You could also use ground pork or chicken.
• To make vegetarian Xôi Khúc, leave out the pork belly or replace with minced mushrooms.
• Line your steamer with banana leaves for more fragrance.

👩🏻‍🍳 How To Make Xôi Khúc

⬇️ 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.

💭 Top Tips for Bánh Khúc

• Use a food scale for accuracy: Using the right amount of sweet rice and regular rice flour is very important. Too much sweet rice flour will make the dough too sticky to roll out but too much rice flour will make it hard and tough. For best results, use a scale and measure to the grams.
• Fully cook the mung beans and keep it moist: Since we're not soaking the mung beans, make sure to cook them in plenty of water and simmer long enough until completely soft. Otherwise, it won't mash into a paste. Don't drain the water after they've been cooked and let them cool in water to retain extra moisture.
• Practice makes perfect: During the first try, it may be difficult to gauge how much water to add for the green wrapper. You want it to be moist and pliable, but not too sticky. It should be like the texture of cookie dough or play doh. Add more spinach water if it's too dry and add more rice flour if it's too wet.
• Don't throw out the spinach pulp: Use it for smoothies, pasta, or soup. Same goes for any remaining spinach water!
• Roll the wrapper thin: Make sure to press or roll the green dough as thin as possible when you start to fill it. A thick wrapper will be less pleasant to eat. Oiling your hands and using gloves will make it easier to work the dough.

🥡 Storing & Freezing

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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