Name: Xôi miền Bắc
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 455 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 400 g dry white glutinous rice, rinsed; 1.5 litres cold drinking water for soaking the rice; discard after soaking; 1.5 g fine salt for the drained rice; 600 g fresh cuttlefish, cleaned edible weight; remove ink sac and viscera, pat very dry and keep chilled; 20 g pork backfat, very cold and finely diced; 25 g shallots, peeled and finely minced; 8 g garlic, peeled and finely minced; 12 ml fish sauce; 1 g fine salt; 1.5 g ground black pepper; 10 g glutinous rice flour; 400 ml neutral canola oil for deep-frying in batches; most remains in the pan, with about 30 ml estimated to be retained by the batch; 1.5 litres drinking water for the steamer reservoir; not consumed

Wide breakfast-table scene with white sticky rice and sliced squid cakes on a plate at right, wooden tabletop across the left, and Hạ Long Bay in the background. — A coastal Hạ Long breakfast of white sticky rice and chả mực beside the bay.

Yield 4 servings

Cook 45 minutes

Passive 6 hours 15 minutes for soaking and chilling

Total 7 hours 35 minutes

Calories per serving About 610 kcal

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Xôi miền Bắc

Xôi is steamed glutinous rice served in many forms across Vietnam. In coastal Quảng Ninh, the pairing of plain white xôi with chả mực—hand-pounded, fried squid or cuttlefish cakes—is a familiar Hạ Long breakfast. This recipe uses fresh cuttlefish, a little pork backfat, aromatics and glutinous rice flour for a practical home version. It represents one local expression of northern xôi, not a single formula for every northern region.

Pounding most of the cuttlefish until tacky helps the cakes hold together; folding in some finely chopped pieces preserves a springy bite. Keep the seafood cold while working, and dry it well so the mixture does not turn loose. Steam the rice separately and fry the cakes just before serving. The plate is simple: warm, fragrant white rice with golden, savory seafood cakes.

Practical

Tips for successChoose fresh, thick-fleshed cuttlefish or squid; clean and dry it thoroughly before weighing the edible flesh. Keep the seafood and pork fat cold while pounding, and chill the shaped cakes briefly before frying. Pulse the squid in short bursts or use a mortar; stop when it is tacky, not completely smooth. Make the patties an even thickness so they cook at the same rate. Use a thermometer for the center of a cake; a golden exterior alone does not confirm safe doneness.

Ingredients

Sticky rice

400 g dry white glutinous rice, rinsed
1.5 litres cold drinking water for soaking the rice; discard after soaking
1.5 g fine salt for the drained rice

Cuttlefish cakes

600 g fresh cuttlefish, cleaned edible weight; remove ink sac and viscera, pat very dry and keep chilled
20 g pork backfat, very cold and finely diced
25 g shallots, peeled and finely minced
8 g garlic, peeled and finely minced
12 ml fish sauce
1 g fine salt
1.5 g ground black pepper
10 g glutinous rice flour

Frying and steaming

400 ml neutral canola oil for deep-frying in batches; most remains in the pan, with about 30 ml estimated to be retained by the batch
1.5 litres drinking water for the steamer reservoir; not consumed

Method

Rinse the rice until the water is nearly clear. Soak it in 1.5 litres cold water for 6 hours. Drain thoroughly and season with 1.5 g salt.
Clean and pat the cuttlefish completely dry; keep it cold. Pound or pulse about 75% with the pork fat, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, 1 g salt, pepper and glutinous rice flour until tacky but not fully smooth. Finely chop the remaining cuttlefish and fold it in.
Shape the mixture into 8 even patties about 1.2 cm thick. Set them on a chilled tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes while the rice steams.
Bring 1.5 litres water in the steamer reservoir to a steady boil. Steam the drained rice in a cloth-lined basket for 30–35 minutes, opening a few vents through the mound. The grains should be fragrant, tender and sticky yet distinct, with no hard center.
Heat the canola oil in a heavy pan to 170–180°C / 338–356°F, never filling the pan more than halfway. Fry the patties in batches, turning once, for about 3–4 minutes per side until evenly golden. Check the center of the thickest cake with a food thermometer; it must reach at least 71°C / 160°F. Cook longer if needed.
Drain the cakes on a wire rack for 3 minutes. Slice each cake just before serving so the center stays juicy and the edges remain springy.
Divide the hot white sticky rice among four bowls or clean banana leaves and serve with two cuttlefish cakes per person. Chili sauce, cucumber, pickled vegetables or fresh herbs may be offered alongside; they are optional and not included in the measured recipe.
If holding the food, keep rice and cakes at or above 60°C / 140°F. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F, at or below 4°C / 40°F. Use within 3 days and reheat to 74°C / 165°F.

Practical

Practical guidance

Soak the rice overnight in the refrigerator if your kitchen is warm, then drain it very well. You can mix and shape the cakes shortly before steaming the rice, then chill them for the specified 15 minutes. Keep uncooked seafood refrigerated and separate from ready-to-eat foods. Fry in batches without crowding the pan; let the oil return to temperature between batches.

Troubleshooting

The rice is gummy: It may not have drained well or the lid condensation may have dripped onto it. Drain thoroughly and keep the lid cloth taut. The squid mixture will not hold together: The seafood may be wet or warm. Pat it dry, chill it, and pound until tacky before shaping. The cakes brown before the center is cooked: The oil is too hot or the patties are too thick. Lower the heat and verify the center reaches 71°C / 160°F. The cakes turn tough: They may have been overworked or fried too long. Keep some squid pieces chopped, shape evenly and use the thermometer to avoid overcooking.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use squid instead of cuttlefish? Yes. Choose thick-fleshed fresh squid, dry it thoroughly and keep it cold; the texture may be a little less firm. Can I make the cakes ahead? Shape them and refrigerate for a short period before cooking. For longer storage, freeze them promptly and thaw in the refrigerator; cook to the same safe internal temperature.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Serving sizeOne quarter of the recipe, including about 100 g dry rice, 150 g raw cuttlefish, 5 g pork fat and about 7.5 ml retained oil
Calories610 kcal
Carbohydrate86 g
Protein32 g
Fat13 g
Fibre2 g
Sodium1,050 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains mollusk (cuttlefish) and fish (fish sauce). Check labels for additional ingredients and cross-contact. Glutinous rice means sticky rice, not wheat gluten, though packaged products can have cross-contact. Keep raw seafood at or below 4°C / 40°F and separate from ready-to-eat foods; wash hands and sanitize equipment after handling it. Cook each cake to at least 71°C / 160°F at the center. Serve promptly or hold hot at 60°C / 140°F or above. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F, at or below 4°C / 40°F; use within 3 days and reheat to 74°C / 165°F.

To finish

Serve the cakes freshly fried beside hot white sticky rice.
Keep the rice hot for service and chill any leftovers promptly in shallow containers.

Xôi miền Bắc

Practical

Ingredients

Sticky rice

Cuttlefish cakes

Frying and steaming

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Allergens and food safety

To finish

Vietnamese National Dishes

Xôi miền Bắc

Xôi miền Bắc

Cá lăng sông Sêrêpốk nướng