Xôi Mặn / Xôi Lạp Xưởng (Chinese Sausage Sticky Rice) holds a special place in the hearts of Southern Vietnamese kids as their beloved breakfast. Here, I will show you how to prepare this “Chinese sausage sticky rice” either in a super easy and quick way with the Instant Pot or the traditional way with the stovetop.
❤️ Why you will love this Vietnamese sticky rice with Chinese sausages
Irresistible Flavor and Texture: Perfect for breakfast or lunch, this dish boasts a delightful blend of flavors and textures—crispy, fluffy, and chewy in every bite.
Gluten-free: most of Asian rice recipes are gluten-free. So does this sticky rice dish.
Time-Saving with Instant Pot: By using the Instant Pot, you can significantly save time in the kitchen while preserving the authentic flavors of the dish.
Traditional Stovetop Option: I’ll also show you the traditional stovetop method, providing flexibility in your cooking approach.
☘️ Origin of Xôi Mặn / Xôi Lạp Xưởng
In Vietnam, Xôi Mặn / Xôi Lạp Xưởng is a particular sticky rice dish with a variety of savory toppings such as Chinese Sausages (lạp xưởng), Vietnamese Liver Pâté, Vietnamese Ham (chả lụa), Vietnamese Pork Floss (chà bông)…
Xôi Mặn is popular Vietnamese street food thoughout the South, while in the northern regions, you might be more familiar with Xôi Xéo (sticky rice with hand-cut mung bean) or Xôi Thịt Kho (sticky rice with caramelized pork).
Vietnamese cuisine gets a lot of cool vibes from French and Southern Chinese/Cantonese flavors, leading to the awesome fusion dishes we all love.
For French-Vietnamese food , we have:
And of course, we can’t forget the iconic Bánh Mì and Cà Phê Sữa Đá (Vietnamese Iced Coffee).
In my opinion, Xôi Mặn / Xôi Lạp Xưởng seems to be influenced by Chinese immigration in Southern Vietnam. The similarity in ingredients to dishes such as Nuo Mi Fan / Loh Mai Fan (糯米飯, Chinese Sticky Rice) and You Fan (油飯, Taiwanese Sticky Rice) could further support this connection.
More Vietnamese recipes with Chinese influence:
? Ingredients
Sticky rice: You can use any types of sticky rice. Sticky rice is also known as sweet rice or glutinous rice. Despite the name “glutinous,” it is entirely gluten-free.
Sticky rice is essential for this dish and cannot be substituted with Jasmine rice or Sushi Short-grain rice.
While sticky rice iss a staple base for daily meals in Thai and Lao cuisines, for Vietnamese recipes , it’s typically served with various toppings and is especially loved as breakfast.
Toppings:
There are various toppings for Xôi Mặn, you could choose according to your preferences:
- Chinese Sausages: diced into small pieces (could be substituted with SPAM or Salami…)
- Chả Lụa (Vietnamese ham): sliced into thin strips (recommended)
- Ham: sliced into strips
- Quail eggs: boiled
- Egg omelette: sliced into thin strips (recommended)
- Tôm Khô (Dried shrimps): soaked to rehydrate, then chopped
- Shredded cooked chicken
- Fried crispy shallots
- Pork floss
- Vietnamese liver pâté (recommended)
- Tép Khô (tiny shrimp crisps)
- Mỡ Hành (Vietnamese green onion oil) (highly recommended)
Seasonings:
- Cooking oil: for sautéing the toppings
- Soy sauce, sugar, and chicken powder.
? Vegan Topping Options:
For the vegan version, you can easily opt for:
- Vegan ham
- Vegan sausage
- Asian Mushrooms (Shiitake & Oyster Mushrooms are the best choices)
- Fried tofu
- Seaweed
- Choi poh (Chinese preserved radish)
? Instant Pot Method
Cook the sticky rice in Instant Pot:
This method is similar to my recipe for Instant Pot Sticky Rice (Thai Khao Niao):
- Wash and rinse the sticky rice several times until the water runs clear. Soak the sticky rice in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain the sticky rice and lightly season it with ⅓ tsp chicken powder, ¼ tsp sugar and 1 tsp cooking oil. Mix well.
- Pour 1.5 cups (360ml) water into the pot. Place the steamer with the sticky rice inside the pot, ensuring the water doesn’t touch the rice. Use a chopstick to create some holes among the rice to allow for better ventilation during steaming.
- Close the lid. Cook using the “Steam” mode with high pressure for 20 minutes, then let it naturally release for another 20 minutes.
Don’t forget to check out my compliation of Asian Instant Pot Recipes , if you love Asian food and are a fan of convenient Instant Pot.
Prepare the Scallion Oil:
You can prepare the scallion oil and toppings while the sticky rice is cooking
- In a heat-resistant bowl, mix chopped green onions with salt and sugar.
- Heat up the cooking oil in a saucepan until it reaches the smoking point. Pour the hot oil over the green onions. Mix well and set aside.
Prepare the Toppings:
- In the same saucepan, sauté all the toppings for about one minute (except for pork floss and dried tiny shrimp crisps, if using). Season them with soy sauce and sugar according to your taste.
- When the Instant Pot finishes cooking, open the lid, and mix the toppings and tiny shrimp crisps with the sticky rice. Cook the sticky rice using the “Sauté” mode on high heat for about 2 minutes.
Serve:
- When serving, place the sticky rice in a bowl or on a plate. Drizzle Vietnamese scallion oil over the sticky rice, and add Vietnamese liver pate and Vietnamese pork floss, if using. Enjoy!
? Stovetop Method
- After washing and rinsing the sticky rice, soak it in cold water overnight or for at least 5 hours. If you live in a hot and humid climate, I recommend refrigerating the rice during soaking to prevent sticky rice from fermenting.
- When it’s time to cook, wash and rinse the rice again. Drain it well and lightly season the sticky rice with 1 tsp cooking oil, ¼ tsp sugar, and ⅓ tsp chicken powder.
- Place the sticky rice in a steamer and create some holes among the rice to allow for better steaming. Steam the sticky rice on medium heat for 35-45 minutes. During steaming process, open the lid every 15 minutes and gently stir the sticky rice. It could ensure even cooked sticky rice.
- The next steps are similar to Instant-Pot Method.
More Asian Instant Pot Recipes:
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