Vietnamese
Sticky Rice Cake
A Tet-style banh chung parcel of sticky rice, mung bean, and pork slowly boiled until the leaf aroma, peppery richness, and dense chew become deeply integrated.
12 servings · 120 minutes prep · 480 minutes cook
Ingredients
Main
- 4 cups glutinous rice
- 1 1/2 cups mung beans
- 2 lb pork belly, cut into strips
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp shallot, minced
- 12 whole banana leaves or parchment paper, softened
Directions
Prepare the Rice, Pork, and Mung Beans
- Rinse the glutinous rice until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it in cool water for 8 hours. Soak the mung beans separately for 8 hours, then drain both well.
- Season the pork belly with the fish sauce, black pepper, kosher salt, and shallot. Cover and marinate for 4 hours.
- Steam the drained mung beans until tender, about 25 minutes, then mash them coarsely so they still have a little texture.
Wrap and Tie the Cake
- Wipe the banana leaves clean, warm them briefly to make them flexible, and overlap several leaves in a square mold or on the work surface.
- Layer rice, mung beans, marinated pork belly, more mung beans, and a final layer of rice in the center, keeping the filling compact and even.
- Fold the banana leaves tightly into a square parcel, tie securely with kitchen twine, and make sure there are no loose corners where water can enter.
Simmer and Press
- Keep the parcel submerged at a gentle simmer until the rice is tender and the pork reaches about {{temperature:190°F}}, 7-8 hours, adding boiling water as needed.
- Lift the cake from the pot, rinse the outside, and press under a weight until completely cool before unwrapping and slicing.
