Bánh chưng

Name: Bánh chưng
Yield: 10 cakes
Ingredients: 8.8 lbs glutinous rice (about 4 kg); 6.6 lbs pork belly (about 3 kg); 5.3 lbs split mung beans, peeled (about 2.4 kg); 50 dong leaves (or banana leaves as substitute); 1 bundle bamboo strings (or kitchen twine); 1 bunch pandan leaves; Roasted salt, black pepper, shallots, seasoning

Trần Dzung @Dzung_1234

Hải Phòng

Every Lunar New Year, my family excitedly prepares the ingredients to make bánh chưng. For me, having bánh chưng means it's truly Tết—a tradition I've cherished since childhood.

Trần Dzung @Dzung_1234

Hải Phòng

Every Lunar New Year, my family excitedly prepares the ingredients to make bánh chưng. For me, having bánh chưng means it's truly Tết—a tradition I've cherished since childhood.

Saved

Ingredients

10 cakes

8.8 lbsglutinous rice (about 4 kg)
6.6 lbspork belly (about 3 kg)
5.3 lbssplit mung beans, peeled (about 2.4 kg)
50dong leaves (or banana leaves as substitute)
1 bundlebamboo strings (or kitchen twine)
1 bunchpandan leaves
Roasted salt, black pepper, shallots, seasoning

Saved

Steps

1

Scrape and wash the pork belly, then cut into pieces about 0.7 lbs (300 grams) each. Marinate with black pepper, seasoning, and minced shallots. You can marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
2

Wash the dong leaves thoroughly, drain, and pat dry. Remove the central vein and fold each leaf into thirds to fit the mold. Here, I use a 6x6 inch (15x15 cm) mold. The folded leaf should be about 1/8 inch (3 mm) smaller than the mold so it fits well.
3

Soak the mung beans until they expand, then rinse and remove any debris or bad beans. Drain and toss with 2 teaspoons roasted salt. Steam until cooked, then mash and form into 4.2 oz (120 gram) portions.
4

Rinse the glutinous rice until the water runs clear, removing any bad grains or debris. Drain, then blend the pandan leaves with water to extract the juice for coloring and flavor. Pandan leaves give a pleasant aroma without the pungency of galangal leaves. Toss 2 tablespoons roasted salt evenly into the rice.
5

Line the mold with the leaves. Use 4 dong leaves for each cake.
6

Add a bowl of rice (about 7 oz or 200 grams). Spread a portion of mung beans on top, then add pork, another layer of mung beans, and finish with more rice.
7

After wrapping, place the cakes in a pot of boiling water lined with leaf veins and leaf ends. Boil for 10 hours, adding more boiling water as needed. Once done, immediately rinse the cakes in cold water, then press them to remove excess water and firm up the cakes.
8

Press the cakes by placing them between two heavy containers of water.