Lotus Seed Sticky Rice
Sticky rice is a delicious dish that you can transform into many variations by combining glutinous rice with different ingredients. If you pair glutinous rice with lotus seeds, you’ll have a fragrant and nutritious lotus seed sticky rice dish. Let’s learn how to cook lotus seed sticky rice so that both the lotus seeds and glutinous rice are perfectly cooked, soft, and chewy!
Table of Contents
What is Lotus Seed Sticky Rice?
Lotus Seed Sticky Rice (Xôi Hạt Sen) is a popular Vietnamese sticky rice dish made by combining two essential Vietnamese ingredients: glutinous rice and lotus seeds. This dish can be enjoyed as a daily breakfast or as part of special occasions like holidays and Lunar New Year (Tết), often served alongside other delicious foods such as chicken and Chinese sausage.
There are two main variations of Lotus Seed Sticky Rice: sweet and savory.
- Sweet Lotus Seed Sticky Rice is often enhanced with shredded coconut, peanuts, and coconut milk, adding richness, nuttiness, and a hint of sweetness.
- Savory Lotus Seed Sticky Rice, when paired with chicken, Vietnamese sausage (chả), and Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng), becomes Xôi Gà Hạt Sen—a flavorful and nutritious dish.
Ingredients for Lotus Seed Sticky Rice
To make Xôi Hạt Sen, you only need two main ingredients: glutinous rice and lotus seeds. You can use fresh, dried, or frozen lotus seeds. Below is the detailed recipe:
Basic Ingredients:
- 300g (1 ½ cups) glutinous rice
- 50g (¼ cup) dried lotus seeds or 100g (½ cup) fresh/frozen lotus seeds
For Savory Lotus Seed Sticky Rice:
- 200g (7 oz) shredded chicken or fried chicken
- Fried shallots, Vietnamese pork sausage (chả lụa), Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng), etc.
For Sweet Lotus Seed Sticky Rice:
- 100g (1 cup) shredded coconut
- Roasted peanuts
- 100ml (½ cup) coconut milk
You can adjust the quantity of accompaniments based on personal preference.
How to Make Lotus Seed Sticky Rice
Step 1. Preparation
Both lotus seeds and glutinous rice need to be soaked for several hours before cooking.
- Glutinous Rice: Rinse the rice under running water multiple times until the water runs clear to remove excess starch and achieve a good final texture. Soak the rice in boiling water for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Lotus Seeds:
- Dried Lotus Seeds: Soak them in boiling water for at least 2 hours. Learn more: how to cook dried lotus seeds
- Fresh Lotus Seeds: Simply wash them and check if there is a remaining core inside; remove it to avoid bitterness.
- Frozen Lotus Seeds: Thaw them completely before cooking.
- Regardless of the type of lotus seeds used, always remove the bitter core.
Step 2. Cooking with a Rice Cooker, Instant Pot, or Steamer
Using a Rice Cooker, Instant Pot or Steamer:
- Rice cooker/ Instant pot: Add both ingredients to the inner pot of the rice cooker or instant pot. Mix well, then add a pinch of salt (for savory sticky rice) or 1 teaspoon of coconut milk (for sweet sticky rice). Pour in enough water to just cover the rice and lotus seeds—avoid adding too much, or the rice may turn mushy.
- With rice cooker: Start the rice cooker and let it cook. Once it switches to warm mode, wait another 10-20 minutes, then open the lid and stir evenly. Check if both the lotus seeds and sticky rice are well-cooked.
- With Instant Pot: Select high-pressure cooking mode for 15 minutes, then let it naturally release pressure for 5 minutes. Alternatively, cook for 18 minutes, then release pressure quickly by opening the pressure release valve.
- Using a Steamer: Spread the sticky rice and lotus seeds on a piece of cheesecloth. Place it in the steamer and steam for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked. Remember to open and stir evenly 1-2 times during steaming process.
Step 3. Serving
- For Savory Lotus Seed Sticky Rice: Top with shredded or fried chicken, Vietnamese ham (chả lụa), Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng), and fried shallots. Serve with soy sauce and chili sauce on the side.
- For Sweet Lotus Seed Sticky Rice: Garnish with shredded coconut, peanuts, and coconut milk. If you prefer it sweeter, mix sugar with coconut milk before drizzling it over the sticky rice.
That’s it! This simple dish can be prepared quickly in the morning. The key to a perfect texture is soaking the ingredients in boiling water and removing the lotus seed cores, which are bitter and don’t match the dish’s flavor. Give it a try!
Lotus Seed Sticky Rice
Ingredients
Basic Ingredients:
- 300 g glutinous rice (1 ½ cups)
- 50 g dried lotus seeds (¼ cup), or 100g (½ cup) fresh/frozen lotus seeds
For Savory Lotus Seed Sticky Rice:
- 200 g shredded chicken or fried chicken (7 oz)
- Fried shallots, Vietnamese pork sausage (chả lụa), Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng), etc.
For Sweet Lotus Seed Sticky Rice:
- 100 g shredded coconut (1 cup)
- A handful of roasted peanuts
- 100 ml coconut milk (½ cup)
Instructions
Step 1. Preparation
- Glutinous Rice: Rinse the rice under running water multiple times until the water runs clear to remove excess starch and achieve a good final texture. Soak the rice in boiling water for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Lotus Seeds: Dried Lotus Seeds: Soak them in boiling water for at least 2 hours. Fresh Lotus Seeds: Simply wash them and check if there is a remaining core inside; remove it to avoid bitterness. Frozen Lotus Seeds: Thaw them completely before cooking. Regardless of the type of lotus seeds used, always remove the bitter core.
Step 2. Cooking with a Rice Cooker, Instant Pot, or Steamer
- Rice cooker/ Instant pot: Add both ingredients to the inner pot of the rice cooker or instant pot. Mix well, then add a pinch of salt (for savory sticky rice) or 1 teaspoon of coconut milk (for sweet sticky rice). Pour in enough water to just cover the rice and lotus seeds—avoid adding too much, or the rice may turn mushy.
- With rice cooker: Start the rice cooker and let it cook. Once it switches to warm mode, wait another 10-20 minutes, then open the lid and stir evenly. Check if both the lotus seeds and sticky rice are well-cooked.
- With Instant Pot: Select high-pressure cooking mode for 15 minutes, then let it naturally release pressure for 5 minutes. Alternatively, cook for 18 minutes, then release pressure quickly by opening the pressure release valve.
- Using a Steamer: Spread the sticky rice and lotus seeds on a piece of cheesecloth. Place it in the steamer and steam for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked. Remember to open and stir evenly 1-2 times during steaming process.
Step 3. Serving
- For Savory Lotus Seed Sticky Rice: Top with shredded or fried chicken, Vietnamese ham (chả lụa), Chinese sausage (lạp xưởng), and fried shallots. Serve with soy sauce and chili sauce on the side.
- For Sweet Lotus Seed Sticky Rice: Garnish with shredded coconut, peanuts, and coconut milk. If you prefer it sweeter, mix sugar with coconut milk before drizzling it over the sticky rice.
Nutrition
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Other Sticky Rice Recipes
- Black Bean Sticky Rice
- Vietnamese Savory Sticky Rice (Xoi Man)
- Peanut Sticky Rice
- Mango Sticky Rice
- Fried Sticky Rice Cake
- Vietnamese Xoi Khuc (Sticky Rice Ball)
- Red Bean Sticky Rice