Rice Cake with Pork Belly and Mung Bean

(Bánh Tét) - Rice Cake with Pork Belly and Mung Bean is also a first choice of many people, especially in South Area, Vietnam. 

When the people in North choose Bánh Chưng in Tet Holiday, the southern people prefect Bánh Tét. Here is one of Vietnamese Cuisine can not miss in these days. When we use phrynium leaves for covering Bánh Chưng, banana leaves is a good choice for Bánh Tét.

Ingredients

* For Cover

- 2kg sticky rice

- Banana leaves

- Bamboo rope.

* For Filling

- 700gr Mung bean (no cover)

- 800gr half lean half fat pork meat

- Purple onion, pepper, salt, Maggi’s stuff.

Process

* For Cover

- Choose banana leave have a large width. Clean carefully, dry in the sun in 1  - 2 hours.

- Clean sticky rice in water added a little salt. Soak in 1 night and then add a little salt, mix well.

 * For Filling

- Soak mung bean in water until they are soft. Bring to steam and then mix with fried purple onion + vegetable oil + salt + pepper and Maggi’s stuff.

- Clean pork meat with water added a little salt. Slice into long pieces.

* For Covering Process

- Cut banana leaves into 40 x 40cm shapes.

- Put 2 leaves across and 2 leaves along together. Put the larger leaves in the middle.

- Pour sticky rice in the middle of leaves. Spread gently along. Next, add more mung bean and pork meat on center. 

- Pull one leaf in along edge up, pour more sticky rice to cover the filling. Next, fold 2 edges and roll into circle shape. Roll firmly and use bamboo rope to tie on the middle of cake. 

- Continue to fold another edge of cake and put the cake stand up. Press all ingredients inside to stick together firmly. Fold the last edge and continue to tie them by bamboo rope. You can look the photo below to see its process.

- Add some banana leaves in the bottom of pot, arrange Bánh Tét into pot and pour water to cover all them. Cook in 5 - 6 hours (for 7 – 10 Bánh Tét).  

- When Bánh Tét is cooked, put them on basket and wait to dry. Store in clean and fresh air which can keep the good quality for cakes longer. 

Eating Rice Cake with Pork Belly and Mung Bean with Dưa Món Củ Kiệu is perfect.