Xôi gấc or sticky rice with baby red jackfruit is the essence of any holiday feast. The red color comes from the baby jackfruit, a fruit exclusive to southeast Asia, and signifies luck.   The fragrant aroma comes from the seed of the jackfruit and resembles vanilla. This rice dish has become a staple of everyday meal in Vietnam and is often eaten for breakfast or as a snack. In the US, you will often see this xôi gấc at any Vietnamese family gathering as it is inexpensive and easy to make, feeds a large crowd and everyone loves it. Sticky rice can also be made in advance since it is usually served at room temperature. Try this red sticky rice for your next meal.

Difficulty: Easy / Servings: 6 / Time: 8 hours to soak the rice and 30-45 minutes to cook

Ingredients:

3 jars (5.6 oz. jar) of frozen baby red jack fruit pulp with seeds or 2 jars without seeds. (I prefer the jar with seeds. This can be purchased at any Asian supermarket.)

3 cups of sweet rice or glutinous rice soaked in water overnight

2 tablespoons of white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc

1/4 cup of water

4 tablespoons of butter

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup sesame seeds

1/3 cups roasted unsalted peanuts

1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon of sugar

Directions:

Mix 3 jars of jack fruit with 2 tablespoon of white wine in a bowl. Let the mixture rest for 30 minutes on the counter. (Save half of the seeds for garnish and aroma.)

Heat a large steamer on high until steam starts coming through the holes.

Drain 3 cups of sweet rice that have been soaked in water overnight. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the rice and mix well.

Combine the rice with jack fruit and mix well to incorporate all the ingredients.

Spread the rice mixture in an even layer in the steamer and leave a hole in the center to allow steam to come through. Steam the rice for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, sprinkle 1/4 cup of water on top the rice and steam for another 5 minutes for a total of 30 minutes. Remove from the steamer.

Stir in 4 tablespoons of melted butter right away and let the sticky rice cool off for a few minutes.

Make Sesame and Peanut Topping:

Pulse 1/3 cup of sesame seeds and 1/3 cups of unsalted roasted peanuts in a food processor until they turn into rough powder. Mix this with 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Top the sticky rice with a spoonful of crushed sesame and peanut mixture. Garnish with a few seeds that were saved earlier. Enjoy this special treat today.

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Authors: Susan Tran and Chau Hoang