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The Ultimate Guide to Korean Hansik: Crafting the Perfect Soft and Healthy Rice Cake Treats for Your Family This Holiday

18 September, 2024

Bánh trôi is a traditional Vietnamese dish with a variety of symbolic meanings. According to cultural experts, the white bánh trôi, shaped into small round balls, represent the 50 eggs that hatched into 50 children who followed Mother Âu Cơ into the mountains. The bánh chay, on the other hand, symbolizes the 50 children who followed their father to the sea.

Additionally, the ingredients used to make bánh trôi—glutinous rice flour and rice flour—are a tribute to the country’s rice civilization and the hard work of Vietnamese farmers. The white color of the dish also signifies purity and goodness, while the round shape represents completeness and fulfillment.

For these reasons, bánh trôi is an indispensable offering on the altar during the Tết Hàn Thực festival. Making bánh trôi is not overly complicated, but it does require some skill to get the soft, sticky texture just right without the dough becoming too tough or the sugar too hard. Here are some tips to help you master this traditional treat.

1. Filling

Instead of using plain rock sugar as the filling, try adding some grated ginger. Ginger has a warm, aromatic quality that enhances the flavor of the dish and also offers health benefits. The compounds in ginger aid digestion and prevent that heavy, bloated feeling you can sometimes get after eating glutinous rice.

2. Use a Coarse Cloth

Whether you’re using fresh or dried glutinous rice flour, you may find that the dough becomes too soft and sticky when shaping the bánh trôi. To fix this, place a coarse cloth under the dough as you work. The cloth will absorb excess moisture, making it easier to shape the dough into firm, round balls.

Additionally, coating your hands with a thin layer of cooking oil before shaping the dough can help achieve a smoother, more rounded finish.

3. Use Nếp Leaves

To enhance the aroma of the dish, add some nếp leaves to the pot of boiling water when cooking the bánh trôi.

4. Cooking the Bánh Trôi

The cooking process is critical to getting the perfect bánh trôi. Here are four things to keep in mind:

– Always wait for the water to reach a rolling boil before adding the bánh trôi.

– Once the bánh trôi float to the surface and have been cooking for 2-3 minutes, they’re ready to be removed from the water.

– After removing the bánh trôi from the boiling water, immediately place them in a bowl of cold water. This step helps wash away any excess starch on the surface of the bánh trôi, preventing them from sticking together and spoiling.

– Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil, ensuring the bánh trôi cook through and expand evenly. This will prevent the dough and sugar from hardening as they cool.

If you’re making colored bánh trôi, cook them in order from lightest to darkest to avoid color bleeding.

HOW TO MAKE BÁNH TRÔI

Ingredients

– 500g fresh glutinous rice flour

– Rock sugar

– Roasted sesame seeds

– Grated coconut

– Finely chopped or grated ginger

Instructions

1. Knead the glutinous rice flour until it forms a smooth dough, then let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into small portions, keeping in mind that bánh trôi are typically smaller than bánh chay. Adjust the size accordingly.

2. Cut the rock sugar into small pieces, about the size of your pinky finger or 1cm in length. Avoid making the pieces too large, as this can make the bánh trôi overly sweet and cloying.

3. Flatten a portion of dough, place a piece of rock sugar and a small amount of grated ginger in the center, and then seal the edges to enclose the filling. Roll the dough between your palms to shape it into a smooth ball.

4. Bring a pot of water to a boil and carefully drop the bánh trôi into the boiling water. They will be ready when they float to the surface and have been cooking for about 2-3 minutes. (You can also add a pandan leaf to the water for extra fragrance.)

5. Remove the bánh trôi from the boiling water and place them in a bowl of cold water. Once cooled, arrange them on a plate.

Sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds and grated coconut on top, and your bánh trôi are ready to be enjoyed!

This easy recipe for bánh trôi delivers a delicious, unique flavor. The soft, sticky dough and sweet, melting sugar create a delightful sensory experience, enhanced by the distinctive pungency of the ginger.

Frequently asked questions

The ultimate guide to Korean Hansik provides a comprehensive insight into the world of Korean cuisine and offers a step-by-step process to create delicious and healthy rice cake treats. The key to crafting the perfect rice cakes lies in using the right ingredients and following a precise method. Firstly, it is essential to use short-grain rice, often labeled as ‘rice cake flour’ or ‘sweet rice flour’. This type of rice has a higher starch content, resulting in a chewier and softer texture. The rice should be soaked for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, and then drained and blended with a small amount of water to create a smooth batter. The next step is to steam the batter, and this can be done either in a traditional steamer or a modern rice cooker with a steam function. The steaming process gives the rice cakes their distinctive soft and fluffy texture. Once steamed, the rice cakes can be shaped and filled with a variety of sweet or savory fillings. The guide also emphasizes the importance of hygiene and provides tips on how to store and preserve the rice cakes to ensure they remain fresh and safe to eat.

Short-grain rice, also known as sticky rice or sweet rice, is essential for achieving the characteristic chewiness and softness of Korean rice cakes. This type of rice has a higher starch content compared to long-grain rice, which results in a glue-like consistency when cooked. This sticky texture is crucial for holding the rice cakes together and creating a pleasing, springy mouthfeel. Additionally, short-grain rice has a higher amylopectin content, a type of starch that contributes to the desired soft and moist texture of the rice cakes.

The beauty of Korean rice cakes lies in their versatility and the ability to create a range of flavors and colors. For natural coloring, you can use ingredients like beetroot juice for pink, spinach juice for green, and carrot juice for yellow. These juices can be added to the rice batter before steaming to create colorful layers or patterns in the rice cakes. As for flavors, the options are endless. You can experiment with different fillings, such as red bean paste, chestnut paste, or a savory option like a spicy kimchi filling. You can also infuse the rice batter with flavors like green tea, cinnamon, or ginger. The guide provides a range of traditional and modern flavor combinations to inspire your creations.

Proper storage is essential to ensure the freshness and longevity of your homemade rice cakes. The guide recommends storing the rice cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they can last for up to a week. If you wish to keep them for longer, you can freeze the rice cakes for up to 3 months. It is important to let them thaw naturally in the refrigerator before consuming them. Additionally, hygiene plays a crucial role in preserving your treats. Always use clean utensils and work surfaces, and avoid touching the rice cakes with your bare hands to prevent bacterial growth.

Yes, it is possible to make Korean rice cakes without a traditional steamer. Modern rice cookers often come with a steam function, which can be utilized for this purpose. Alternatively, you can create a makeshift steamer by placing a heat-proof plate or bowl over a pot of simmering water, ensuring that the water does not touch the plate or bowl. The key is to ensure that the steam circulates evenly around the rice batter to achieve the desired soft and fluffy texture.