Xoi xeo

Step 1: Drain 14 oz glutinous (sticky) rice, stir 1 tsp ground turmeric and ⅔ tsp salt through it until every grain is yellow, and leave it in the colander for 10 minutes to drip dry.

Step 2: Line a steamer basket with a damp muslin cloth or a perforated parchment. Spread the rice in a loose, even layer and poke a few holes through it with a chopstick so steam can rise. Steam over a high heat for 20 minutes.

Step 3: Sprinkle 4 tbsp water over the rice, toss it with a spatula and steam for 15 to 20 minutes more, until every grain is glossy, translucent and chewy with no hard white centre. Common mistake: boiling sticky rice in a pot of water like ordinary rice turns it to paste; it must be steamed.

Step 4: While the rice steams, drain 5 ½ oz split peeled mung beans and simmer it with 1 cup water and the rest of 1 tsp salt in a small covered pan over a low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beans are completely soft and the water is absorbed. Mash it smooth with a fork.

Step 5: While the mung bean is still warm, squeeze it with your hands into one tight, smooth ball. Wrap it in cling film and leave it to cool and firm up.

Step 6: Put 8 shallots and ½ cup vegetable oil in a cold frying pan and set it over a medium-low heat. Stir often for 10 to 12 minutes; once the rings turn light gold, watch closely and lift them out with a slotted spoon the moment they are amber. They keep darkening off the heat and turn bitter if they go brown. Spread them on kitchen paper to crisp and keep the oil.

Step 7: Spoon the hot rice into bowls or onto squares of banana leaf and drizzle each with 1 to 2 tsp shallot oil. Hold the mung bean ball and shave thin slices off it with a sharp knife straight onto the rice, then pile the crisp shallots on top. Eat warm.