Bánh lá mít - Rau Mơ (Pandan Leaf and Wild Betel Leaf Rice Cakes)

Name: Bánh lá mít - Rau Mơ (Pandan Leaf and Wild Betel Leaf Rice Cakes)
Total time: 5400 s
Yield: Serves 5 servings
Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups rice flour (about 300 grams); 1/3 cup tapioca starch (about 50 grams); 1/4 cup sugar (about 50 grams); 3 cups shredded coconut (about 700 grams); 7 ounces wild betel leaves (about 200 grams); 25 fresh jackfruit leaves; 2/3 cup peanuts (about 100 grams); 1/2 teaspoon salt; A few green onions

Hoàng Thị Tố Hà @toha_2591227

Huế

When I became a daughter-in-law in Bến Tre, a province in the Mekong Delta famous for coconuts, fruit trees, and many traditional country cakes, I discovered this rustic treat made from garden leaves: wild betel leaves, jackfruit leaves, coconut leaves, pandan leaves, guava leaves, pomelo leaves, and more. This is Bánh lá mít - rau mơ. I remember when our family gathered, everyone would help: some soaked rice and ground it into flour, others picked wild betel leaves to pound and extract the juice. We’d chat and work together, and soon enough, the cakes were ready to enjoy—warm, sweet, and full of happiness. The cake has a rich, sweet flavor from coconut milk and peanuts, a chewy texture, and the unforgettable aroma of wild betel leaves. It’s a simple country treat, but it holds so much love and nostalgia, a taste of home that’s hard to forget.

Hoàng Thị Tố Hà @toha_2591227

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Ingredients

90 minutes

Serves 5 servings

2 1/2 cupsrice flour (about 300 grams)
1/3 cuptapioca starch (about 50 grams)
1/4 cupsugar (about 50 grams)
3 cupsshredded coconut (about 700 grams)
7 ounceswild betel leaves (about 200 grams)
25fresh jackfruit leaves
2/3 cuppeanuts (about 100 grams)
1/2 teaspoonsalt
A fewgreen onions

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Steps

90 minutes

1

Wash the wild betel leaves and jackfruit leaves, then let them drain. Roast the peanuts until golden, remove the skins, and crush them lightly.
2

Pour 3 cups boiling water (about 700 ml) over the shredded coconut and let it soak for 5 minutes. Knead and squeeze well, then strain to get 2 cups coconut milk (about 500 ml). Chop the green parts of the green onions.
3

Add 3/4 cup cold water (about 200 ml) to the leftover coconut pulp, knead and squeeze, then strain to get 1/3 cup thin coconut milk (about 100 ml). Chop the wild betel leaves and blend them with 1 1/4 cups water (about 300 ml) in a blender, then strain to get 3/4 cup wild betel leaf juice (about 200 ml).
4

To make the cake batter: In a large bowl, combine the rice flour, 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (about 30 grams), wild betel leaf juice, thin coconut milk, salt, and 2 teaspoons sugar (about 10 grams). Mix and knead until you have a soft, non-sticky dough.
5

To shape the cakes: Place a little dough on the smooth side of each jackfruit leaf (so the leaf veins show on the cake when cooked). Gently press the dough into a thin, even layer on the leaf, then fold the leaf in half or leave it flat, as you prefer.
6

To steam the cakes: Arrange the cakes in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes after the water comes to a boil. The cakes are done when the dough turns translucent and light brown.
7

To make the coconut sauce: In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (about 20 grams), and 3 tablespoons sugar (about 40 grams). Stir until the starch and sugar dissolve. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped green onions.
8

To serve: Let the cakes cool slightly, then remove them from the leaves. You can leave them whole or roll them up. Dip the cakes in the coconut sauce or place them on a plate, pour the sauce over, and sprinkle with crushed peanuts. Enjoy!