1. Ingredients for making banh chung
Glutinous rice: 4kg
Shelled green beans: 1kg
Pork belly: 1kg
Spices: salt, pepper, fish sauce
Dong leaves: 40-50 pieces
Bamboo strings: 2 bundles
Fresh galangal leaves: 1 handful
2. How to wrap delicious banh chung
Step 1: Prepare ingredients
Wash both sides of the dong leaves, then dry them with a towel and let them drain. Then use a knife to cut the veins of the leaves to soften them and make them easier to wrap. Be careful to cut close to the leaves but not too deep to avoid tearing the leaves.
Wash fresh galangal leaves, pound and squeeze out the juice.
Soak sticky rice for about 6-8 hours or overnight to make the banh chung soft and fragrant. Then, wash the rice, drain, add 1-2 tablespoons of salt, add galangal juice and mix well.
Soak the mung beans in cold water for 2 hours, rinse the skin and put them in a pot, add a little salt, cook or steam until done. Next, mash the beans and form them into small handfuls.
Wash the pork belly with diluted salt water, then rinse again with clean water. Next, cut the meat into 5-6cm long, 1-2cm thick pieces, then marinate the meat in the ratio of 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of pepper. Marinate the meat for at least 1 hour.
Step 2 : Wrap the cake
To make square and beautiful banh chung, you should prepare a square banh chung mold to fix the shape of the cake. The standard size of the banh chung mold is usually 12 x 12cm.
Place 2 dong leaves in the mold, create right angles on both sides of the mold, fold the bottom edge of the leaf into a triangle. Do the same with the remaining 2 leaves at the two opposite corners but do not fold the edge of the leaf into a triangle.
Place 2 other leaves in a cross shape, dark side of the leaf facing up to give the cake a nice green color.
Next, spread 1 bowl of pre-processed sticky rice evenly on the bottom of the mold, break half a handful of mung beans on top of the rice, followed by 2 pieces of meat. Continue to cover with the remaining half of mung beans and another bowl of sticky rice to cover the filling.
Finally, fold the edges of the leaves, gently lift the mold out and tie the cake with string.
Step 3 : Boil the cake
Before placing the banh chung in the pot, you need to put a layer of dong leaf stalks underneath to prevent the cake from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot. You can add extra leaves to the pot to make the cake greener when boiled.
Next, arrange the cakes in the pot vertically, with the cakes close together.
Pour water into the pot to cover the cake and boil continuously for 10-12 hours. During the boiling process, keep the water covering the cake continuously. When the water level is low, add more water.
The fire to boil banh chung is not too big, always keep the fire steady and continuous throughout the boiling process.
Step 4 : Finish
When the cake is cooked, take it out, put it in a bowl of cold water for about 15-20 minutes, then take the cake out and wipe off the resin on the surface of the cake.
Arrange the cake on a tray, leave it in an airy place. Next, use another tray to place it on top, put a heavy object on the tray to press down on the cake so that the water in the cake flows out, helping to firm the cake. Be careful not to put too much weight on it, causing the cake to break and look unsightly.
When the cake has cooled completely and is dry, remove the heavy object and place the cake in a cool place.
3. Notes when wrapping and preserving banh chung
You should choose yellow sticky rice with plump grains. Do not soak the rice too much or the cake will be crushed and easily sour.
You can use soaked raw mung beans to wrap without steaming.
Do not wrap the cake too tightly because during the boiling process, the cake will expand and easily burst.
Store the cake in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight for 7-10 days. It is best to hang the cake high up to avoid insects from eating it.
When storing cakes in the refrigerator, regularly check for mold. Before eating, microwave or steam the cake to reheat.
If you want to preserve it longer, you can put the cake in the freezer and use it within 20 days. When using, you should cut a sufficient amount and defrost it at room temperature and then steam it. You can cook the cake by frying it to change the taste.
To enjoy banh chung properly and healthily, you should eat it with green vegetables and pickles, pickled onions, and pickled onions to balance nutrition and aid digestion.
Delicious banh chung, beautifully wrapped, you can confidently place on the altar of ancestors or send as a gift to relatives and friends. Wish you success!
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