{Delicious Vietnam #14}
It is cold, and the rain hasn’t stopped. I wake up to the sound of the rain, and the wind. It has been so cold, and waking up in the 5C isn’t the easiest thing to do. After feeding Đen, it is time for my own breakfast, which is a simple affair for most days. Toasts or muesli and coffee. Sometimes if Mr. B is around I will make something with eggs although I am not a fan of them for morning meals.
Sometimes, the “Vietnamese in me” wants a heavy breakfast though. Noodle soup (bún, mì, phở), congee (cháo) or sticky rice (xôi). It’s a rather substantial meal but oh-so-satisfying and can set you right up for the rest of the day. (And it makes sense scientific wise to have a glorious breakfast, yes?)
Lately I have been craving for sticky rice. Sticky rice with cassava (xôi sắn) in particular. This is not the sort of thing you often find in Hanoi shops. It’s a pheasant dish that Ms. Lụa, my home-help, used to cooked up at my request. I remember her asking why the Hanoians didn’t embrace this sticky rice dish. Too heavy to their “refined taste”? Whatever. I love it.
Anyway, this is my first time cooking sticky rice with casasva. The last time I had a chance to enjoy it was more than five years ago. When Ms. Lua left, no one made it for me anymore. Thankfully, it isn’t hard to cook. Just a little bit of organisation is needed. Sticky rice must be soaked the days before (4 hours in summer, and longer time for winter). Frozen cassava is thawed, cut into large pieces then mixed with the rice. The whole mixture is then steamed in a steamer until cooked through.
The sticky rice is typically served with a mixture spring onion cooked in lard. I have substituted lard with oil without much problem. Sometimes people will also add prawn floss. Today I have paired the sticky rice with a Malaysian-inspired anchovy sambal (!). It’s highly non-Vietnamese but this is an effort to please the Singaporean side of my family and introduce them to the dish. It’s a win-win situation, you know? 
(Now a bit of language lesson for those who understand. Cassava is called củ sắn in the north and khoai mì in the south. Don’t confused with “củ sắn” in the southern Vietnamese language, which means jicama)
I am sending this dish to Delicious Vietnam #14. This month is hosted by the lovely couple at rauom. Please join us for some tasty treats!
You will need to start this recipe the day before
Ingredients (feed hungry 5 people and more)
500g sticky rice (glutinous rice or sweet rice)
500g frozen cassava, thawed, drained and cut into pieces*
1/2 tablespoon salt
½ cup oil
2 cups finely chopped spring onions (both green and white parts)
2 tsp salt
Method
Wash the sticky rice and soak it overnight. The next day, drain the rice in a colander.
Mix the rice well with salt and cassava pieces. Put the rice in a steamer and steam over medium heat for around 30 minutes or until cooked through.
When the rice is being cooked, prepare the spring onion oil – Heat the oil, add salt and briefly fry the finely chopped up spring onion. Let cool.
Serve the sticky rice hot, drizzle with the spring onion oil. Serve with anchovies sambal, if desired.
(*) Frozen cassavas are at Asian shops. You can use fresh cassava – peel well and cut into cubes and cook as above.
Malaysian-inspired anchovy sambal
I like the use of vinegar here. It makes the anchovies crispier for longer. My sambal is not as sweet as the traditional Malaysian kind, so increase the amount of sugar if you like.
1.5 cups dried anchovies
2 tablespoons oil
4 shallots
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons ground chilli (store-bought)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
Wash the dried anchovies and drain well.
Pound the shallots and garlic into a fine paste.
In a wok, add 1-2 tablepoons oil, fry the anchovies in low heat until cripsy. Dish out. In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil, fry the garlic-shallot paste until golden. Mix in chilli sauce, sugar, vinegar and toss through the fried anchovies.
This will keep well for a few days.
That is an interesting dish! So comforting.
I wonder if I can find cassava here?
Pam: I am sure Vietnamese shops will have them!
LOL crazy northerners/southerners :p I was wondering what the heck cu san was.. I like simply having sticky rice with pork floss mmm…
Your photos are always just so special:) This particular presentation is so simply beautiful.
Great pair-up with the cassava rice and the sambal. That anchovy saltiness is so yum.
A warm and comforting dish for sure. And I totally approve of your addition of sambal.
sticky rice + sambal sounds perfect for this crappy weather!
I LOVE sticky rice!! I think i will remember the food i had in Hanoi ALL MY LIFE!! I have tried cooking sticky rice at home with not much success ;( I don't really have a traditional steamer though! Do you have any suggestions?
I love rice for breakfast. Just wondering, is there a reason this was served on paper?
@chinmayie: u can cook sticky rice in the microwave you know? It's not at good, but better than cooking it in a stove top cooker. Just put enough water to barely covered the rice (which has been soaked overnight). Cover with cling wrap and microwave for 2-4 minutes, take out and give a good stir. Cover again and microwave for a few more minutes. Check if the rice is cooked. Since cooking
I love thai sticky rice with mango..never ate cassava but I m seeing it so much on ur blog that now I feel like really trying it! That sambal sounds and looks soooo awesome!
I always adore the oil of aromatics (e.g. garlic, shallots, or spring onion) drizzled over gently cooked food. I like spring onion oil tossed into noodles. I never tried this dish before but I know it's going to be tasty delicious.
Delicious. Isn't it amazing how great a simple meal like this can taste? So filling, so flavorful, so comforting. Thank you for sharing another inspired recipe. I hope you have a wonderful start to your week. Hugs and love from Austin!
Mmm looks and sounds so yummy – love the onion oil!
Yum .. especially the crispy anchovies!
This looks absolutely delicious! I have never cooked with sticky rice, so this seems like a bit of a scary recipe, but I would absolutely love to try it
The anchovy sambal also looks just incredible.
I love the fusion here. I think the use of sambal just makes every rice dish sound more exciting (that's my Singaporean side talking) ! I've not tried this dish before, and it's really nice to learn of a dish that is not commonly served in restaurants.
looks like a good hearty breakfast – I so rarely have rice for breakfast because I come from such a toast-centric breakfast culture but it sounds like a good start to the day
Oooh! Considering how much I love eating Japanese rice with pickles, I know I'd love this rice with the intense anchovy sambal! Looks fabulous
Interesting dish this. I'll probably make this with noodles instead. Sambal ikan bilis is always the winner!
What an delicious way to start the day. A warm and comforting dish to warm the heart
This reminds me a little of nasi lemak. Must be the anchovies.
I love an Asian breakfast – for me – there is nothing more satisfying than rice and fish for brekky… while I've never had your version – it brings back fond memories of me having garlic fried rice and dried fish for breakfast in the Philippines. I will certainly try this version one day…
I have been looking for cassava; now I know to look for it in Vietnamese shops; love your rice!
Ch
Sticky rice with cassava! Yum! We also use dried anchovies for cooking and we have very similar dish, but instead of chili we add soy sauce. This whole meal would be perfect for my everyday breakfast. LOL.
First off, thank you Anh for explaining how sticky rice is made. This looks very satisfying….extra sambal for me please!
mmm I haven't made xoi in so long. It's so delicious. Thanks for reminding me!
this looks SO GOOD!!
Loving all things sticky rice in this cooler weather – so filling and nourishing
Anh, this looks wonderful and perfect for a cold and rainy morning. I love sticky rice, but I've only had sweet versions of it.
I am a big fan of sticky rice, and definitely on board with this dish especially the anchovy sambal
So sweet to keep the in-laws happy.
ohhhh, one of my favorite childhood dishes of all time (and still today)! i'd love a big bowl right now.
Hi Anh, interesting to see your take on Malaysian anchovies sambal with the use of vinegar. We call them ikan bilis. I happened to share the Malaysian Sambal Ikan Bilis recipe on Season with Spice. Would love to try it with vinegar soon.
Anh, I can almost taste it the sticky rice and love what seems like crunchy casava. You always do such a meticulous job & your pics look beautiful!
Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog! This dish sounds really interesting
dear anh, i'm so glad that you dropped by my blog so that i know you. I just went thru your recipe list and gosh, you got lovely recipes there. i will come here very often!!
I have yet to try this kind of combination, looks intriguing.
I so agree how a good breakfast gives a good start to the day, although my American roots may prefer this as a meal later in the day. It sounds delicious any time!
I would must rather detour the typical western cereal or toast for a breakfast like this. I'm quite partial to congee myself, and definitely want to try this one day soon!
I never had the combination of sticky rice and cassava…it sure looks delicious and so tasty with the anchovy sambal.
It's dishes like this that brings back so many childhood memories on the dinner table. Looks amazing…I could taste it.
this looks SOO good…id happily eat it anytime during the day not just in the morning! haha love the creative fusion too
I have this for for meal, I will be very happy. I love crispy anchovies.
This looks so comforting. Can imagine how wonderful it will taste on a cold morning. Can you make the same with sushi rice ?
This looks like such a hearty and comforting way to start your day.
Wonderful presentation of this sticky rice. It's my childhood food. Whenever the winter comes, I'd think of having a bowl of it to warm myself up.
This looks like just the sort of home-y dish I would love! I also used to eat the food our old helper would make…such honest good food.
Sticky rice! I'm sold. And that Malaysian inspired anchovy sambal? It's va va voom babe!
What a lovely way of serving sticky rice! Those are some great flavor combinations there. I haven't tried making sticky rice before and didn't realize the hours it took to soak the darned things. Will have to give it a go for a weekend trial. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to more Delicious Vietnam entries and reading your posts, Anh.
Anchovy sambal? Wow that sounds SO good! Its always amazing to see what comfort food means to people from different regions and ethnicity!
This dish has all the things I like. Sticky rice. Garlic. Anchovies. Sambal. It is fascinating how South East Asian cuisines are so closely related.
reading your blog make me miss vietnam so much, can't wait to go back next year in Feb. Regret not being able to eat as much authentic food (such as this) as I wanted to the last two times I was there so determined to eat more authentic food next time.
Beautiful pictures, as always! Sticky rice is quite a challenging dish, you definely have managed it so well…
I did not see instructions on how to cook the cassava with the rice. This dish looks totally delicious.
The dish looks very delicious and tempting, I've never cooked with cassava, I would try and hugs.aquí,linda receta,abrazos.
I was going to make this dish the traditional way as i have seen it in a viet cooking show with just the green onion in oil drizzled with some soy sauce and fresh chilly. However, I really like your idea of topping it off with sambal. Thanks for sharing!