Bánh Tét
Ingredients
- 0.7 kgsticky rice (soaked for 8 hours)
- 333.3 gPork belly (in 2cm strips)
- 200 gmung beans (cooked and mashed)
- 133.3 mlCoconut milk
- 1.3 tbspfish sauce
- 2 pcShallot (minced)
- 0.7 tbspWhite sugar
- 0.7 tspGray sea salt
- 0.7 tspBlack pepper ground
- 6.7 pcBanana leaves (cleaned and softened with hot water)
- 0.7 pcCooking twine (cut into sufficient lengths)
Method
A compact cylinder of sticky rice, hiding a melting heart of fatty pork and mung beans. When sliced, the rice appears glossy and translucent, while the meat pulls apart easily.
- 1
Wash sticky rice and mung beans separately. Soak in clear water for at least 8 hours. Drain thoroughly. The rice grain should be soft enough to crush with a fingernail.
- 2
Cut the pork belly into 2cm wide strips. Mix with minced shallots, fish sauce, sugar, and a generous amount of black pepper. Let the meat marinate for 2 hours.
- 3
Steam the mung beans until tender. Mash them into a thick, dry paste. Shape the paste into cylinders around the marinated pork strips.
- 4
In a pan, heat coconut milk with salt. Add sticky rice and stir over medium heat until the milk is absorbed. The rice should be sticky and glossy.
- 5
On banana leaves, spread a layer of rice and place the filling cylinder in the center. Roll into a cylinder. Fold the ends and tie very tightly with twine to compress everything.
- 6
Submerge the rolls in a large pot of boiling water. Simmer for 6 hours, regularly adding hot water to ensure the cakes remain fully submerged.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get this dish right?
- Use a clean sewing thread to cut the slices: it prevents crushing the sticky rice.
- If the rice isn't tight enough when tying, water will seep in and soak the cake.
- The next day, pan-fry the slices to crisp up the exterior; it's even better.
How long does this dish keep?
Keeps for 1 week in the refrigerator inside its leaves. Can be frozen once cooked.
