Tips

The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Delicious Banh Chung: A Speedy and Tasty Twist on a Classic

The Banh Chung is an indispensable dish in the traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year feast. Instead of waiting for hours to boil the cakes, try this method to achieve a vibrant green exterior and deliciously sticky interior.

Administrator

9 September, 2024

1 – Tips for Boiling Banh Chung to Make it Green, Sticky, and Tastier

Rinse the sticky rice thoroughly

The first step to achieving perfect Banh Chung is to rinse the sticky rice multiple times until the water runs clear. This process ensures that any dust or bran sticking to the rice grains is washed away, resulting in a cleaner and less sour taste.

Soak the rice with lye water

Lye water has a mild alkaline property, and some families in Central Vietnam use it to soak the sticky rice before cooking. This increases the alkalinity of the rice, resulting in a more transparent texture and a beautiful emerald green color while retaining the delicious flavor of Banh Chung.

Soak the rice with smashed ginger or pandan leaves

Smash and mix ginger with the sticky rice before wrapping the Banh Chung. This will give the cake a uniform green color, from the shell to the filling, and a unique fragrance. Similarly, clean and smash pandan leaves, squeeze out the juice, and soak the rice for 1-3 hours to achieve an attractive green color.

In addition to the above methods, you can also squeeze lemon juice directly onto the sticky rice. Lemon has a strong alkaline property that will help the rice cook faster and result in more appealing colors.

Clean and blanch dong leaves

Dong leaves must be cleaned individually and thoroughly, then dried with a clean cloth. Before wrapping the cakes, the leaves should be blanched in boiling water to eliminate any mold spores. The number of leaves used for each cake depends on the weather: use six leaves in cool weather and ten leaves in hot weather for better preservation.

2 – How to Boil Banh Chung to Make it Sticky and Tasty

A tole pot is recommended for cooking Banh Chung as it creates an alkaline environment. This type of pot helps retain the green color of the dong leaves, resulting in a more natural-looking Banh Chung.

When cooking, place spare leaves at the bottom and around the inner walls of the pot to prevent the cakes from burning. These leaves also contribute to making the cooking water greener.

After boiling halfway through the usual time, remove the cakes, rinse them with cold water, change the water in the pot, and continue cooking. This process will result in greener, more tender, and tastier Banh Chung.

For Banh Chung, there is an additional step of pressing out the water after cooking. In contrast, for Banh Tet, rinse the cakes with cold water after removing them from the pot and then roll them by hand to shape them evenly. Good luck with making this delicious Banh Chung for your family’s reunion on Tet holiday!

According to Khoevadep

Frequently asked questions

Banh Chung is a traditional Vietnamese sticky rice cake that is typically enjoyed during the Lunar New Year (Tet) celebrations. It is a symbolic dish that represents good luck, prosperity, and family unity. The cake is made by wrapping sticky rice, mung beans, and pork belly in banana leaves and steaming or boiling it until cooked.

The primary ingredients in Banh Chung are sticky rice, mung beans, and pork belly. The sticky rice provides a chewy texture and a subtle sweetness, while the mung beans add a soft, creamy element and a slightly earthy flavor. The pork belly contributes a savory, juicy element to the dish, and its fat helps to keep the cake moist and flavorful.

In the traditional method, the sticky rice is soaked overnight and then mixed with cooked mung beans and seasoned pork belly. This mixture is then wrapped in banana leaves, forming a square or rectangular shape, and tied securely with kitchen twine. The packages are then steamed or boiled for several hours until the rice is cooked and the flavors have melded together.

A time-saving alternative to the traditional method is to use a pressure cooker or instant pot. By utilizing this modern appliance, you can significantly reduce the cooking time while still achieving the desired outcome. Simply follow the standard recipe for preparing the filling, but instead of steaming or boiling the packages for hours, use your pressure cooker for a fraction of the time.

Employing a pressure cooker or instant pot offers several advantages. Firstly, it drastically reduces cooking time, making it more feasible for those with busy schedules to prepare this traditional dish. Secondly, it yields consistent results, ensuring that your Banh Chung is perfectly cooked every time. Additionally, the pressure cooking method helps intensify the flavors, creating a delicious and aromatic dish.

When utilizing a pressure cooker or instant pot for Banh Chung, it is advisable to use natural release instead of quick release. This gradual release of pressure ensures that the rice cooks evenly and thoroughly. Additionally, be mindful of the liquid ratio in your recipe, as pressure cookers require slightly less liquid than conventional cooking methods. Lastly, allow for sufficient resting time after cooking to let the flavors develop further.