banh tet

Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes (Banh Tet) are must-have foods for Vietnamese&nbsp;New Year / Tet. There are many variations on the filling, some sweet and&nbsp;others savory. This recipe is the savory version with a&nbsp;mung bean and pork filling. Unlike their square-shaped siblings,&nbsp;Square Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes (Banh Chung), these cakes are&nbsp;smaller, cylindrical&nbsp;and overall easier to make.&nbsp;If you live in an area with a large Asian community, you'll find these cakes everywhere, especially around this time of the year.&nbsp;It may be tempting to just buy them. However, if you have the time, I encourage you to make these at home.&nbsp;They are just amazing when homemade!

Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes / Banh Tet

pork

tsp black pepper

tsp sugar

tsp salt (, divided)

Tbsp shallots

Tbsp fish sauce

mung beans

oz frozen banana leaves

glutinous/sweet rice

ruler

(8 1/2 x 11 inch) sheets of paper

scotch tape

(16 inch) lengths of string (, used as temporary ties)

(9 feet) lengths of cooking string or twine

aluminum foil

Cut the pork belly into 4 (1 inch) wide strips and then trim so each strip to 5 inches long. Optionally, remove the pork skin and discard.

Combine the pork with ground black pepper, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, minced shallots and fish sauce. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the work surface. Take 3/4 cup mashed mung beans and divide in half. Spread out each mung bean half into 5 inch long sections.

Place a piece of marinated pork on top of one of the mung bean strips. Place the other mung bean strip on top. Using your hands, press the mashed mung bean around the pork. Roll and shape into a log.

Wrap the log in plastic wrap.

Repeat the above steps, making a total of 4 logs.

Measure the logs and make sure they're approximately 5 inches long.

Freeze the filling logs overnight.

Making the Filling Logs

Tape together the 2 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper to form an 11 inch square paper template.

Thaw the banana leaves at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Gently unfold and separate the banana leaves. Using the paper template, cut out 12 sheets of banana leaves. (You'll need 3 sheets of banana leaves per cake). Cut a few extra sheets just in case some tear while washing.

Clean the banana leaves by washing both sides in hot water. Wipe both sides of the leaves dry with paper towels.

Moisten 2 large sheets of paper towels and place the cleaned banana leaves between the towels. Place the cleaned banana leaves back into the original plastic bag and then seal with tape.

Refrigerate the banana leaves until they're ready to use.

Preparing the Banana Leaves

Wash the glutinous rice by rinsing with cool water until the water is mostly clear. Fill the basin with cold water and let the rice soak overnight.

Preparing the Glutinous Rice

Remove the filling logs from the freezer.

Rinse the glutinous rice with cold water one more time. Drain in a large colander. Toss the rice in the colander to remove any excess water. Add the remaining 2 tsp salt and combine with the rice.

Place a 16 inch string vertically on the work surface.

Place the first banana leaf on the work surface with the shiny side down and veins running horizontally. Place the second banana leaf on top of the first in the same way. Place the third banana leaf on top of the other 2 leaves with the shiny side up and veins running vertically.

Place 1/2 cup glutinous rice on the center of the banana leaves. Spread out the rice so it's 1/4 inch high and just a bit bigger than the filling log. Place the filling log on top of the rice.

Bring the banana leaves up and hold together with one hand. Add another 1/2 cup glutinous rice on top of the filling log. Using a spoon, add more rice to the sides of the cake. Smooth out the top, encasing the filling with an even amount of rice.

While holding the top portion of banana leaves, wrap the bottom portion securely around the log. Bring the top portion of the leaves down and wrap firmly around the cake. Tie the string around the middle of the cake to secure in place.

Fold the leaves over on the one end and stand the cake up. Pat the cake with your palms to settle the rice. Add 4 heaping tablespoons rice to the end, cover the filling. Fold the banana leaves (like you would a present) covering the end completely.

Flip the cake over, standing it on the folded end now. Repeat the same process of adding rice and folding the banana leaves for the remaining end.

Tie the cakes securely with a 9 feet section of cooking string. (Please see video for this part.)

Continue with these same steps until all 4 cakes are made.

Wrap the cakes with a generous amount of aluminum foil.

Making the Cakes

Transfer the cakes into a 20 quart stockpot standing each cake on its end.

Fill the pot with water until it almost covers the cakes. Place a heavy lid or plate on top of the cakes. Add more water until the cakes are completely immersed in water.

Cover the pot and bring to a boil using High heat.

Reduce heat to Low and cook for 4 hours.

Check the water level every 1 hour and add boiling water as needed. (Do not add cold water. This will halt the cooking process and ruin the cakes.)

After boiling for 2 hours, flip the cakes.

After 4 hours, carefully remove the cakes from the pot using tongs.

Remove the foil and rinse each cake with cold water.

Dry the cakes with a kitchen towel.

Wrap each cake in plastic wrap and allow to cool for 4 hours.

Cooking the Cakes

To Serve: Cut off the string. Unwrap the cake by removing the banana leaves and discarding. Cut the cake into thick slices using a sharp knife or with cooking twine. (See the video for a demonstration.)

Enjoy&nbsp;the Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes&nbsp;with savory&nbsp;Dried Carrot and Radish Pickles.

Store the Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Freeze the whole cakes for up to 6 months.

Serving and Storing the Cakes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW2SX_Gv_cg

Learn how to make Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes. These savory cakes are a must-have for Lunar New Year and very doable.  In this short video, I break down the steps for making the filling, prepping the banana leaves and glutinous rice the night before.  Stay tuned for Part 2 where I'll show you how to wrap and cook the cakes!

Written recipe:  http://runawayrice.com/main-dishes/sticky-rice-mung-bean-cakes-banh-tet/

Part 2: Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes (Banh Tet) - Wrapping and Cooking the Cakes
http://youtu.be/bLd-bhDclsw

Enjoy these New Year's Cakes with Dried Carrot and Radish Pickles: http://youtu.be/IHVCsV0FW5U

For more Vietnamese New Year recipes check out the playlist: 
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSQD0YDKFutTdoIX1Pkp1hcEXRLFqCt3t

Tools Used in This Video:

Seville Classics Easy-to-Clean Bamboo Cutting Board and 7 Color-Coded Flexible Cutting Mats  http://amzn.to/2srVtOs

Mini 3.5 Inch Glass Bowls for Kitchen Prep http://amzn.to/2Eyh6RL

Prepworks by Progressive Magnetic Measuring Spoons http://amzn.to/2H7vtuL

Stanton Trading 18 by 30 by 1/2-Inch Cutting Board, White http://amzn.to/2smXw6f


Website:     http://runawayrice.com
Facebook:  http://fb.com/therunawayrice
Twitter:       http://twitter.com/runawayrice

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Ingredients:

3/4 lb pork belly
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp minced shallots
1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
3 cups mashed mung beans http://youtu.be/1B-JZFYs_d0
16 oz package frozen banana leaves
6 cups long-grain glutinous/sweet rice

Yield: 4 cakes

Nguyên liệu:

340 g thịt heo (thịt ba chỉ)  
½ m. cà phê tiêu xay sơ
½ m. cà phê đường
½ m. cà phê muối
2 m. canh hành ta băm
½ m canh nước mắm
675 – 750 g đậu xanh chín xay nhuyễn http://youtu.be/1B-JZFYs_d0  
450 g lá chuối đông lạnh
1.2 Kg gạo nếp hột dài

Được: 4 cái bánh

__________________________________

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Part 1: Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes (Banh Tet) - Making the Filling

Celebrate Tết or Lunar New Year in style with this bánh chưng recipe! These Vietnamese sticky rice cakes are wrapped with banana leaves and filled with savory yellow mung beans and umami flavored fatty pork belly.

Bánh Chưng (Vietnamese Sticky Rice Cake)

(687 g) dry sticky rice

salt

lb pork belly (sliced 1 cm thick)

sugar

chicken bouillon powder

pepper

fish sauce

shallots (sliced)

(240 g) peeled split mung beans

salt (divided (1/4 teaspoon

chicken powder

banana leaves (1

4x4x2 inch molds

Tape

String

Make a square mold out of cardboard: Create a mold out of cardboard. I made mine about 4x4 inches wide and 2 inches high.

Soak sticky rice. Wash the sticky rice until the water turns clear. Soak the sweet rice with salt and enough water to cover the rice over night.

Marinate the pork belly. Slice the pork belly into about 1/4 inch thick slices. Marinate the pork with salt, sugar, chicken powder, pepper, fish sauce and shallots in the refrigerator overnight.

Soak the mung beans. Wash the mung beans until the water turns clear. Soak the mung beans with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and enough water to cover the rice in the refrigerator overnight.

Day Before

Strain the rice. Strain the water from the rice. Set aside.

Boil the mung beans. Strain the mung beans. In a medium pot, fill halfway with water, add 1 teaspoon of salt and mung beans. Heat on high until it boils. When the water boils, turn the heat down to simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes or until softened. Then strain the water and mash the mung beans.

Saute the shallots. In a large skillet or wok, heat 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable on high heat. Add the shallots and saute for 2 minutes on high and then reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until caramelized and tender about 10-15 minutes.

Mix together. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, pepper, chicken powder, caramelized shallots and mashed mung beans. Set aside.

Day Of

Line the mold with banana leaves. Line the mold with at least 4-6 strips of banana leaves (~4x 12 inches) layering them in alternative directions like a cross. Make sure to leave 2 inches of banana leaf above the mold to seal the banh chung later. Then using 4 thinner strips  (~2x10 inches) line the inside of the mold to seal the corners.

Add the rice. Add an even layer of sticky rice, about 1/2 of an inch.

Layer the mung beans and meat. Layer an even 1/4 inch layer of mung beans. Make sure to leave 1/4 inch of space around the edges for the rice. Layer the pork belly on top of the mung bean layer. Lastly, layer another even 1/4 inch layer of mung beans.

Fill with rice. Fill in the edges and the top 1/2 inch with sticky rice.

Fold the leaves over and wrap with string. Using alternating strips, fold the leaves over tightly. Seal with a piece of tape and tightly wrap the banh chung with string like a present. Make sure to wrap the string along the edges as well to keep it all together. See video.

Assembly

In a large pot, if possible, place a small wire rack at the bottom of the pot, then line 3-4 layers of banana leaves on top of the wire rack covering the entire rack. Add the banh chung and fill the pot with enough water to cover. Cover the pot with a lid and bring the pot to a boil on high heat. Once it boils, turn the heat down to medium low heat and simmer for about 7 hours. Every two hours add boiling water in the pot to make sure the water level is always covering the banh chung.

Serve after 30 minutes. Take the banh chung out of the pot and let it cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then serve with chả lụa (Vietnamese cold cuts) and pickled vegetables. If you are not serving it right away, dry the banana leaves and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store the bánh chưng in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. To re-heat simply place them in the microwave with the banana leaf still wrapped on. It may take up to 5-6 minutes depending on the heat of your microwave to thoroughly heat and soften the bánh chưng.

Cook the Banh Chung

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naFfgoIbdiI&t=5s

Celebrate Tết or Lunar New Year in style with this tasty traditional bánh chưng! 🎊 These Vietnamese sticky rice cakes are wrapped with banana leaves and filled with savory yellow mung beans and umami-flavored fatty pork belly. 

📝 Supplies you will need for folding:
• 1 Square cardboard mold (4 inches by 4 inches wide and 2 inches tall)
• 4-6 strips of banana leaves (roughly 4 inches by 12 inches)
• 4 thinner strips of banana leaves (roughly 2 inches by 10 inches)
• Soaked sticky rice
• Mung bean filling
• Marinated sliced pork belly
• String
• OPTIONAL — Small piece of tape

🥡 RECIPE HERE: https://takestwoeggs.com/banh-chung/

🔍 Sections:
0:08 How to line bánh chưng mold with banana leaves
0:51 How to seal the inside corners of bánh chưng mold
1:11 Layering in the sticky rice and filling
1:54 How to fold the bánh chưng close
2:18 How to release the bánh chưng from the mold
2:39 How to tie the bánh chưng

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How to fold Banh Chung (Vietnamese Sticky Rice Cake)

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