Bánh Chưng for Tết (Vietnamese Sticky Rice Cake)

Name: Bánh Chưng for Tết (Vietnamese Sticky Rice Cake)
Ingredients: 3 cups glutinous rice (about 600 grams); 1 1/2 cups split mung beans (about 300 grams); 14 oz pork belly (about 400 grams); 1 bunch dong leaves (or substitute with banana leaves if unavailable); 16 feet kitchen twine (about 5 meters)

Nhunhi Vo @Vonhunhi1982

TPHCM

Delicious surprise
Wrapped in leaves
A full kitchen, joyful family gathering

Nhunhi Vo @Vonhunhi1982

TPHCM

Delicious surprise
Wrapped in leaves
A full kitchen, joyful family gathering

Saved

Ingredients

3 cupsglutinous rice (about 600 grams)
1 1/2 cupssplit mung beans (about 300 grams)
14 ozpork belly (about 400 grams)
1 bunchdong leaves (or substitute with banana leaves if unavailable)
16feet kitchen twine (about 5 meters)

Saved

Steps

1

Cook the mung beans until soft, then mash them. Season with salt, a little bouillon powder, a pinch of sugar, and black pepper. Sauté some shallots in cooking oil, then mix them into the beans until well combined.
2

Soak the glutinous rice overnight with a pinch of salt. In the morning, rinse well, then season with a little salt, a bit of bouillon powder, and some cooking oil. Mix well and drain before wrapping.
3

Cut the pork belly into cubes. Marinate with salt, fish sauce, a pinch of sugar, black pepper, and crushed shallots. Let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator before wrapping in the morning.
4

Line a square mold with the leaves, making sure the corners are covered. Each cake uses 8 leaves. Layer glutinous rice, then mung beans, then pork, another layer of mung beans, and finish with a final layer of rice. Wrap the cake tightly.
5

Arrange the cakes in a large pot. Pour in boiling water to cover the cakes, cover with a lid, and cook under pressure for 2 hours from when the water starts boiling. Let the cakes rest in the pot for about 20 minutes. Remove the cakes, rinse with cold water, and press them gently to firm up.
6

Slice the cake and enjoy.