Com Lam with Grilled Chicken – Vietnamese Bamboo Rice

Discover the flavours of Vietnam’s highlands with Com Lam with grilled chicken. This dish pairs fragrant sticky rice cooked inside bamboo tubes with juicy chicken coated in an aromatic spice marinade. Serve it with sesame salt or chilli salt for a satisfying meal to share.

In this recipe, the rice comes in three natural colours: white, purple from lá cẩm leaves and orange-red from gấc fruit. The chicken is seasoned with mắc khén and hạt dổi before cooking in an air fryer. If you cannot find suitable bamboo tubes, you can prepare the colourful sticky rice in a steamer instead.

1. Origins and Food Culture

Cơm lam is a traditional method of cooking rice with water inside bamboo tubes over hot embers. It is associated with several mountainous regions of Vietnam. In the Central Highlands, known as Tây Nguyên, bamboo rice is often served with grilled chicken.

As the rice cooks, it absorbs a delicate bamboo fragrance. Cooking over charcoal also adds a subtle smoky aroma. Before serving, the outer bamboo shell is removed and the rice is divided into manageable pieces.

This version combines bamboo rice and chicken with mắc khén and hạt dổi, aromatic spices particularly associated with Vietnam’s northwestern mountain cuisine.

2. What Does Com Lam with Grilled Chicken Taste Like?

The chicken is savoury and aromatic, with juicy meat and golden skin. Mắc khén adds citrus-like notes and a gentle tingling sensation, while hạt dổi contributes a warm, intense roasted aroma.

The sticky rice provides a soft, pleasantly chewy contrast. Its three colours make the dish especially attractive: naturally white rice, purple rice coloured with lá cẩm and orange-red rice mixed with gấc fruit.

A little sesame salt or chilli salt adds a final savoury touch.

3. Difficulty and Preparation Time

Difficulty: Medium

The main preparation involves soaking and colouring the sticky rice, filling the bamboo tubes and marinating the chicken. When cooking over charcoal, the tubes need regular turning to help the rice cook evenly.

Allow time for soaking the rice and at least 30–60 minutes for marinating the chicken. Cooking times vary depending on the bamboo tubes, heat level, chicken size and air fryer.

4. Ingredients

Serves 2–4

For the Three-Colour Bamboo Rice

• 300 g uncooked glutinous rice, also called sticky rice
• A small handful of lá cẩm leaves, or unsweetened prepared lá cẩm liquid
• Approximately ½ ripe gấc fruit, using the pulp according to your preferred colour intensity
• 1–2 tsp clear rice spirit, optional, for mixing with the gấc pulp
• A little salt
• Water for soaking and cooking
• A few pieces of banana leaf
• Fresh, clean bamboo tubes specifically suitable for cooking, each with a naturally closed lower node

How many bamboo tubes do you need?
This depends on their usable internal volume. For 300 g of dry rice, you will not need ten large tubes measuring 5–8 cm across and 25–30 cm long. Prepare only enough tubes for the amount of rice you have.

For the Chicken

• 1 whole chicken, approximately 1–1.2 kg, small enough to fit your air fryer
• 2 shallots
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp fresh green peppercorns, to taste
• 2 fresh chillies, adjusted to your preferred heat level
• 1–2 tsp mắc khén
• 1–2 hạt dổi seeds, depending on size and intensity
• 1 tsp chilli powder or mild paprika
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• Approximately ½ tsp salt, adjusted to taste
• ½–1 tsp monosodium glutamate (MSG), optional
• 1 tbsp cooking oil, plus a little extra for brushing

These seasoning quantities are suggested starting points. Hạt dổi is particularly intense, so use it sparingly at first.

To Serve

• Sesame salt or chilli salt
• A little toasted, ground mắc khén, to taste
• Lime wedges, optional

5. How to Make Com Lam with Grilled Chicken

Step 1: Prepare the Three Rice Colours

Rinse the sticky rice several times until the water becomes noticeably clearer.

Simmer the lá cẩm leaves in a little water until they release a deep purple colour. Strain and allow the liquid to cool completely.

Separate the coloured gấc pulp from the seeds. Mash the pulp with a small pinch of salt and, if using, the rice spirit.

Divide the rice into three equal portions:

• Soak the first portion in plain water.
• Soak the second portion in the cooled purple lá cẩm liquid.
• Soak the third portion in plain water, then drain and mix with the prepared gấc pulp.

Follow the soaking instructions on the rice packaging, typically around 4–6 hours. Drain well. Reserve some of the purple soaking liquid if needed for cooking the purple rice.

Step 2: Fill the Bamboo Tubes

Thoroughly clean the inside of the cooking-grade bamboo tubes.

Spoon the rice into separate tubes for each colour. Fill only about halfway to two-thirds of the usable space with soaked rice, without packing it down.

Add water, or reserved purple liquid for the purple rice, until the rice is just covered. Leave enough empty space above the filling.

Loosely plug each opening with a folded piece of banana leaf. The leaf should protect the contents without creating an airtight seal.

Step 3: Marinate the Chicken

Pat the chicken dry with kitchen paper and butterfly it so it lies flat. You can also ask your butcher to prepare it this way.

Peel the shallots and garlic. Finely chop or blend them with the green peppercorns and chillies.

Briefly dry-toast the mắc khén and hạt dổi over low heat until fragrant. Allow to cool, then grind finely.

Combine the ground spices with the shallot mixture, chilli powder, turmeric, garlic powder, fish sauce, salt, optional MSG and 1 tbsp cooking oil.

Rub the marinade evenly over both sides of the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30–60 minutes.

Step 4: Cook the Bamboo Rice over Charcoal

Place the filled bamboo tubes over steady charcoal embers, away from tall, direct flames.

Turn them regularly so the rice cooks evenly. Start checking after approximately 30 minutes, although larger tubes may take considerably longer.

The rice is ready when the grains are soft all the way through, with no hard centre. A browned bamboo exterior and fragrant aroma are useful signs, but always check the rice itself.

Carefully remove the hot tubes using heat-resistant gloves or suitable barbecue tongs.

Step 5: Cook the Chicken in an Air Fryer

Preheat your air fryer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Place the chicken in the basket with enough space for air to circulate, ensuring it does not touch the heating element.

For a butterflied chicken weighing approximately 1–1.2 kg, use the following as a starting guide:

1. First stage: Cook at approximately 180°C for 15 minutes.
2. Second stage: Carefully turn the chicken, brush lightly with fresh oil and cook for another 10–15 minutes.
3. Crisping stage: Turn the chicken skin-side up. Once the meat is almost cooked, increase the temperature to 190–200°C for a few minutes to brown the skin.

Watch closely during the final stage, as the spices can darken quickly.

Check the internal temperature: The chicken must reach at least 70°C throughout for two minutes. Use a meat thermometer in the thickest parts of the breast and thigh, without touching bone. Continue cooking if necessary.

Rest the cooked chicken for approximately 5–10 minutes before carving.

Step 6: Prepare and Serve

Allow the bamboo tubes to cool slightly. Carefully split and peel away the outer bamboo shell. A thin inner membrane may remain around the rice and can be removed before eating.

Cut the rice into manageable pieces. Carve the chicken and arrange it on a platter with the three rice colours.

Serve with sesame salt or chilli salt. Add a little ground mắc khén to the dipping salt if you enjoy its citrus-like aroma.

6. Finding the Ingredients in Germany

Alternative Without Bamboo Tubes

You can cook the three rice portions in a steamer lined with banana leaves.

Arrange the leaves so that some openings remain for steam to circulate. Spread the drained rice loosely over the leaves, keeping the colours separate.

Steam over boiling water for approximately 25–40 minutes, checking the texture as it cooks. If the rice is still firm, sprinkle with a little hot water and continue steaming.

This method produces colourful sticky rice with a gentle banana leaf aroma, although it will not have the bamboo and charcoal fragrance of traditional Com Lam.

7. Frequently Asked Questions

Why Shouldn’t I Fill the Bamboo Tubes Completely?

Sticky rice absorbs water and expands during cooking, so it needs space.

Packing the tubes too tightly can cause uneven cooking and leave the rice firm in the centre. Fill them only partially and avoid pressing the rice down.

Why Cook the Chicken in Several Stages?

Turning the chicken helps it cook more evenly. A light coating of oil supports browning, while a brief hotter finishing stage helps crisp the skin.

The exact number of stages is less important than controlling the heat, checking regularly and making sure the meat is fully cooked.

What Flavours Do Mắc Khén and Hạt Dổi Add?

Mắc khén has a citrus-like fragrance and can create a mild tingling sensation on the tongue.

Hạt dổi contributes an intense, warm, roasted aroma. Start with a small amount so it does not overpower the other ingredients.

Can I Make This Recipe Without Mắc Khén and Hạt Dổi?

Yes. Garlic, shallots, chilli, pepper and fish sauce still make a flavourful chicken marinade.

The flavour will be different, however. Black pepper does not fully replace the distinctive aromas of these two spices.

Does the Rice Have to Be Three Colours?

No. The three colours are a decorative variation. You can prepare all the rice plain white if you cannot find lá cẩm leaves or gấc fruit.

Can I Use Chicken Thighs Instead of a Whole Chicken?

Yes. Chicken thighs take the marinade well and may fit more easily into a smaller air fryer.

Adjust the cooking time to their size and quantity, and check the internal temperature before serving.

Why Is My Bamboo Rice Still Hard in the Middle?

Possible causes include insufficient soaking, too little water, tightly packed rice or a short cooking time.

Uneven heat can also cook the outer rice before the centre is ready. Turn the tubes regularly and check the rice before serving.

Hang Huynh

Content Writer

Mit über 2 Jahren Erfahrung in der Erstellung von Inhalten rund um Reisen, Kultur und Kulinarik verfasse ich informative und inspirierende Beiträge. Bei VietNatur möchte ich Geschichten über vietnamesische Spezialitäten, einzigartige Aromen und die Schönheit der vietnamesischen Kultur teilen – und als Brücke dazu beitragen, diese auf authentische Weise internationalen Freunden näherzubringen.