Creamy Pepper & Egg Rice Bowl with Buttered Bread
25 min
Bánh Chưng - Traditional Vietnamese Sticky Rice Cake
Bánh Chưng is a traditional Vietnamese square sticky rice cake that is a staple during Tet (Lunar New Year) celebrations. This savory cake features glutinous rice layered with seasoned pork and mung beans, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed for hours until perfectly tender. It represents the earth in Vietnamese culture and is best served sliced with a dipping sauce.
720 min
Medium
8 servings
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Taste Profile
Sweet1/10
Salty6/10
Sour0/10
Umami8/10
Spicy1/10
🥄 Texture
Dense and glutinous on the outside with a sticky, slightly chewy rice layer; inside the mung beans become a soft, slightly crumbly paste that contrasts with pockets of tender, fatty pork. Overall the cake is compact and moist, with occasional melt-in-your-mouth fat adding silkiness.
👃 Aroma
Aromatic banana leaf imparts a grassy, slightly roasted note while long steaming develops a warm, savory pork and shallot-garlic aroma. The overall scent is comforting and meaty with subtle earthy undertones from the mung beans and rice.
🍷 Pairs Well With
Jasmine tea or a light lager (e.g., Vietnamese lager) to cut the richness; alternatively a crisp dry white wine or iced green tea works well.
🥗 Side Dishes
Nuoc cham (fish sauce with lime, sugar, and chili) for dipping, Vietnamese pickled carrot and daikon (do chua) to add acidity and crunch, fresh herbs (rau răm, cilantro) and sliced cucumber or a simple bitter melon salad.
Ingredients(11 items)
- 12 cups glutinous rice (sticky rice)
- 21 cup dried mung beans (soaked for 2 hours)
- 3500 grams pork belly (cut into chunks)
- 42 tablespoons fish sauce
- 51 tablespoon salt
- 61 teaspoon black pepper
- 74 banana leaves (for wrapping)
- 82 liters water (for steaming)
- 92 shallots (minced)
- 103 cloves garlic (minced)
- 111 tablespoon vegetable oil
Nutrition Information(per serving)
385
Calories
16.2g
Protein
42.8g
Carbs
18.5g
Fat
Instructions
- 1
Soak the glutinous rice in water for 30 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- 2
In a separate pot, cook the soaked mung beans with 3 cups of water until soft but not mushy, about 45 minutes. Drain and season with 1 teaspoon salt.
- 3
Heat vegetable oil in a pan and sauté the minced shallots and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- 4
Add the pork belly chunks to the pan and cook until browned on all sides, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- 5
Season the cooked pork with fish sauce, remaining salt, and black pepper. Mix well and let cool slightly.
- 6
Prepare the banana leaves by blanching them briefly in hot water to soften them, then cut into large squares approximately 12x12 inches.
- 7
Layer the banana leaf squares on a clean surface, creating a cross pattern with overlapping leaves.
- 8
Spread a layer of glutinous rice (about 1 cup) in the center of the banana leaves, leaving space around the edges.
- 9
Add a portion of cooked mung beans in the center, then place some pork pieces on top.
- 10
Cover with another layer of glutinous rice (about 1 cup), pressing gently to compact.
- 11
Fold the banana leaves over the rice mixture, tucking in all sides to create a secure square package.
- 12
Fill a large steaming pot with water and bring to a boil. Place the bánh chưng packages on a steaming rack or in a steaming basket.
- 13
Steam the bánh chưng for 8-10 hours, checking water level periodically and adding more hot water as needed to maintain steam.
- 14
Remove from heat and let cool completely for at least 2 hours before unwrapping.
- 15
Unwrap carefully and slice into portions. Serve at room temperature or reheated with dipping sauce (fish sauce with lime and chili).
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