Best Banh Tet Recipes

STICKY RICE AND MUNG BEAN CAKES / BANH TET

Steps:

• Cut the pork belly into 4 (1 inch) wide strips and then trim so each strip to 5 inches long. Optionally, remove the pork skin and discard.
• Combine the pork with ground black pepper, sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, minced shallots and fish sauce. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the work surface. Take 3/4 cup mashed mung beans and divide in half. Spread out each mung bean half into 5 inch long sections.
• Place a piece of marinated pork on top of one of the mung bean strips. Place the other mung bean strip on top. Using your hands, press the mashed mung bean around the pork. Roll and shape into a log.
• Wrap the log in plastic wrap.
• Repeat the above steps, making a total of 4 logs.
• Measure the logs and make sure they're approximately 5 inches long.
• Freeze the filling logs overnight.
• Tape together the 2 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper to form an 11 inch square paper template.
• Thaw the banana leaves at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Gently unfold and separate the banana leaves. Using the paper template, cut out 12 sheets of banana leaves. (You'll need 3 sheets of banana leaves per cake). Cut a few extra sheets just in case some tear while washing.
• Clean the banana leaves by washing both sides in hot water. Wipe both sides of the leaves dry with paper towels.
• Moisten 2 large sheets of paper towels and place the cleaned banana leaves between the towels. Place the cleaned banana leaves back into the original plastic bag and then seal with tape.
• Refrigerate the banana leaves until they're ready to use.
• Wash the glutinous rice by rinsing with cool water until the water is mostly clear. Fill the basin with cold water and let the rice soak overnight.
• Remove the filling logs from the freezer.
• Rinse the glutinous rice with cold water one more time. Drain in a large colander. Toss the rice in the colander to remove any excess water. Add the remaining 2 tsp salt and combine with the rice.
• Place a 16 inch string vertically on the work surface.
• Place the first banana leaf on the work surface with the shiny side down and veins running horizontally. Place the second banana leaf on top of the first in the same way. Place the third banana leaf on top of the other 2 leaves with the shiny side up and veins running vertically.
• Place 1/2 cup glutinous rice on the center of the banana leaves. Spread out the rice so it's 1/4 inch high and just a bit bigger than the filling log. Place the filling log on top of the rice.
• Bring the banana leaves up and hold together with one hand. Add another 1/2 cup glutinous rice on top of the filling log. Using a spoon, add more rice to the sides of the cake. Smooth out the top, encasing the filling with an even amount of rice.
• While holding the top portion of banana leaves, wrap the bottom portion securely around the log. Bring the top portion of the leaves down and wrap firmly around the cake. Tie the string around the middle of the cake to secure in place.
• Fold the leaves over on the one end and stand the cake up. Pat the cake with your palms to settle the rice. Add 4 heaping tablespoons rice to the end, cover the filling. Fold the banana leaves (like you would a present) covering the end completely.
• Flip the cake over, standing it on the folded end now. Repeat the same process of adding rice and folding the banana leaves for the remaining end.
• Tie the cakes securely with a 9 feet section of cooking string. (Please see video for this part.)
• Continue with these same steps until all 4 cakes are made.
• Wrap the cakes with a generous amount of aluminum foil.
• Transfer the cakes into a 20 quart stockpot standing each cake on its end.
• Fill the pot with water until it almost covers the cakes. Place a heavy lid or plate on top of the cakes. Add more water until the cakes are completely immersed in water.
• Cover the pot and bring to a boil using High heat.
• Reduce heat to Low and cook for 4 hours.
• Check the water level every 1 hour and add boiling water as needed. (Do not add cold water. This will halt the cooking process and ruin the cakes.)
• After boiling for 2 hours, flip the cakes.
• After 4 hours, carefully remove the cakes from the pot using tongs.
• Remove the foil and rinse each cake with cold water.
• Dry the cakes with a kitchen towel.
• Wrap each cake in plastic wrap and allow to cool for 4 hours.
• To Serve: Cut off the string. Unwrap the cake by removing the banana leaves and discarding. Cut the cake into thick slices using a sharp knife or with cooking twine. (See the video for a demonstration.)
• Enjoy the Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes with savory Dried Carrot and Radish Pickles.
• Store the Sticky Rice and Mung Bean Cakes at room temperature for up to 2 days. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Freeze the whole cakes for up to 6 months.

BANH TET

Steps:

• Place rice in a colander; rinse under cold water, stirring rice with your fingers, until water runs clear, about 2 minutes. Transfer rice to a large bowl or container; add water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.
• While rice refrigerates, cut pork into four 1 1/4x5-inch strips. Place pork strips, fish sauce, shallot, sugar, pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag. Seal bag, removing as much air as you can. Gently massage pork to distribute marinade. Refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Place mung beans in a colander; rinse under cold water, stirring with your fingers, until water runs clear, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mung beans to a small saucepan; add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mung beans are creamy, no longer hold their shape, and begin to stick to bottom of pot, 16 to 18 minutes.
• Scrape beans into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, about 10 seconds. Spread pureed mung beans onto a baking sheet. Chill until cold, about 45 minutes. You'll have about 2 cups mung bean puree.
• While mung beans cool, gently rub banana leaves with a damp cloth to remove dirt. Using kitchen shears, cut fibrous strings off each banana leaf. You only need 12 banana leaves, but you cannot use torn leaves, and you'll want to set aside wider banana leaves for wrapping, so you'll need extras.
• Remove pork from marinade; discard marinade. Moisten a work surface with a damp paper towel. Lay a 14-inch long piece of plastic wrap on moistened work surface, with the long edge facing you. Using a small offset spatula, spread 1/4 cup mung bean puree in center of plastic wrap to form a 6x4-inch rectangle. Center 1 pork strip on top of the mung bean rectangle. Spoon 1/4 cup mung bean puree over the pork, and using moistened hands, spread puree all over pork to mostly enclose. Lift bottom edge of plastic wrap to begin wrapping pork mixture; continue to roll into a log. Once roll is complete, hold the ends of the plastic wrap and roll pork mixture on counter towards you to form a tight cylinder, about 5 inches long; set pork roll aside. Repeat wrapping procedure with remaining 1 1/2 cups mung bean puree and remaining 3 pork strips.
• Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in 2 1/4 teaspoons salt. You'll have about 9 cups drained rice.
• Cut 36 (14-inch) lengths and 8 (28-inch) lengths of kitchen twine; set aside.
• Stack 3 wide banana leaves (dull-side down with lines on the leaf running running parallel to edge of work surface) on top of each other to cover an 11-inch wide area. You will probably need to overlap some of the smaller leaves in order to form the desired shape. Using kitchen shears, cut banana leaf stack to form a 11x14-inch rectangle, with the 11-inch side facing you; discard trimmed leaves and restack leaves if needed. Spoon 3/4 cup of rice onto center of banana leaf stack and spread into a 6x4-inch rectangle.
• Unwrap 1 of the pork rolls and center on top of rice rectangle. Spoon 3/4 cup rice over pork roll. Slowly wrap short edge of banana stack closest to you over pork roll, stopping to redistribute rice enclosing the pork, until it is snug and completely wrapped. Tie banana leaf cylinder in center with 1 (14-inch) piece of kitchen twine to secure. Working with 1 end of cylinder only, fold banana leaf ends over cylinder. Hold ends in place and then stand cylinder up on the folded end. Spoon 1/4 cup of rice into open end, and gently tap sides of banana cylinder and tap back and forth to settle rice. Seal open end of banana cylinder by tucking sides of banana leaves against rice mixture like you are wrapping a present and folding flaps down. Center 1 (28-inch) string over folded end and hold sides of string snuggly against cylinder. Hold folded end in place and flip cylinder. Open folded end.
• Spoon 1/4 cup of rice into open end, and gently tap sides of banana cylinder and tap back and forth to settle rice. Seal open end of banana cylinder, tucks sides of banana leaves against rice mixture like you are wrapping a present, then fold flaps down. Bring edges of string up together and tie against folded flaps; don't tie too tightly. Center 1 (28-inch) string on 1 folded end perpendicular to first string, and hold sides of string snuggly against cylinder. With your other hand, hold bottom end in place and flip cylinder. Bring edges of string up together and tie against folded flaps; don't tie too tightly. Lay banana cylinder on work surface and cut off center string (the first string we tied) with kitchen shears; discard. Using 5 (14-inch) pieces of kitchen twine, tie banana cylinder working from center out at 1 1/2-inch intervals until you reach the ends. Wrap banana cylinder tightly in a 18-inch long piece of aluminum foil. Secure center and folded ends of foil with 3 (14-inch) pieces of kitchen twine. Repeat wrapping procedure with remaining banana leaves, rice, pork rolls, and kitchen twine.
• Place cylinders in a large stockpot (you may need to stand cylinders on their ends.) Fill pot with water to 2 inches below the rim. Place a heat-proof lid on top of cylinders to keep submerged. Cover, and bring to boil over high heat. Uncover and continue to gently boil at medium heat, turning every 2 hours, until the internal temperature is at least 200 degrees F (92 degrees C), about 6 hours. Add additional boiling water as needed throughout cook time to keep water level 2 inches below the pot rim. Using tongs, transfer cooked banh tet to a baking sheet and let cool for at least 3 hours, or chill overnight. Remove and discard foil and banana leaves. Slice into rounds and serve. For clean slices, dip knife into warm water, and wipe clean often.

BáNH CUốN

Steps:

• Make the batter: In a large bowl, stir together the rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, salt, oil and 4 cups water until there are very few lumps. Allow mixture to set at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours (or overnight, covered).
• While the batter is setting, make the filling: Mix the fish sauce, oyster sauce, bouillon powder, sugar, black pepper and salt into the pork. Cover and refrigerate mixture for 1 hour.
• Over medium heat, add the vegetable oil to a medium pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the minced wood ear mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the jicama to the mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the marinated pork and cook, stirring and breaking it up into smaller pieces, until it's cooked through and beginning to brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Heat a medium (10-inch) nonstick pan with a lid over medium. Stir the batter to blend it evenly (the flours will have sunk to the bottom), then add a thin layer to the pan, about a scant ¼ cup batter, depending on the size of your pan. Allow the batter to spread across the pan and form a round, tilting the pan as necessary, then cover to steam for 30 to 45 seconds until the batter is cooked through and the edges begin to separate from the surface.
• Carefully flip the pan over to release the cooked batter onto a cutting board. Add 2 tablespoons of filling to the middle in a horizontal line and using a spatula or your hands, roll the cooked batter to encase the filling. Transfer to a platter or to serving plates. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.
• Serve immediately with bean sprouts, fried shallots, herbs and sausage, if you'd like. Eat with nước chấm.