I’ve been on an Ube kick. With Lunar New Year coming up, I wanted to make a small dessert to enjoy with my family. I’ve never tried making xoi before, so I asked my mom how she prepares it, and added the ube flavor to the traditional xoi recipe. The steamer that I used (usually for steaming dim sum items and seafood) had holes that are a little big, so I lined it with cheesecloth.

My dad, one of the harshest critic, tried it and liked it. Vietnamese dad approved…I’ll take it! It can be eaten as is, warmed up…or you can drizzle some sweet coconut sauce on top, which I love. Basically, it’s coconut milk with sugar.

It is perfect for handing out to loved ones and friends during the Lunar New year, since it’s easy to make in bulk. This can be enjoyed all year round, not just during the holidays. Hope you enjoy this recipe!

The steaming process: cheesecloth lines steamer

Ube Xoi (Purple Yam Sticky Rice)

Xoi is a delicious sticky rice dessert, best when eaten warm. The creamy coconut milk really adds a nice rich taste and the salt, sugar, toasted sesame seeds adds the yummy sweet and salty crunch to each bite.
Prep Time 4 hours
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert

Equipment

  • steamer

Ingredients
  

Prepping the Rice

  • 3 cups Glutinous rice
  • 2 tsp Ube Extract
  • 1/2 cup Coconut cream
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 1 cup Shredded Coconut

Topping

  • 1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Sugar

Instructions
 

  • Rinse and soak the rice for 4 hours or overnight. Rinse again and drain rice after soaking.
  • Combine coconut cream with sugar and ube extract.
  • Steam rice in the steamer for about 15 minutes.
  • Add the coconut cream mixture and the shredded coconut to the steamed rice and gently mix until it's evenly coated.
  • Steam for another 15 minutes
  • Shape the rice into any shape you like. You can also just place onto serving platter or container.

Topping

  • Mix together the sugar, salt, and sesame seeds. Then sprinkle on top.