Roaming street vendors spoon this sticky rice dish onto banana leaves as a quick morning pick-me-up. In the evening, small street restaurants serve it alongside fried chicken as part of a heartier meal. You will need to start this recipe a day ahead.

3 cups glutinous rice

200 g dried mung beans

2 cm knob of turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons fried shallots, plus 1½ tablespoons oil reserved from cooking the shallots

Put the rice in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak overnight. Drain the rice and rinse it under cold running water until the water runs clear.

Put the mung beans in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 3 hours. Drain the mung beans well and place in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover them. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes, until the mung beans are soft. Drain well and allow to cool slightly.

Press the mung beans between your hands to squeeze out the excess water. Form them into a large ball and allow to cool.

Peel the turmeric and pound it to a fine paste using a mortar and pestle. Sprinkle the rice with the salt and sugar, and stir through the turmeric. Place the rice in a steamer lined with muslin cloth and steam it for 30 minutes. Remove the lid from the steamer and check that the rice is cooked (it should be tender all the way through).

To serve, shave the mung bean ball over the rice. Sprinkle the fried shallots and shallot oil on top and eat the rice with your fingers.