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The cozy atmosphere when the whole family gathers to wrap Banh Tet together has become a characteristic cultural feature and an indispensable activity during traditional Tet holidays. In addition, wrapping Banh Tet at home also helps save costs and ensure hygiene. The article below from Kamereo will guide you on how to traditionally wrap Banh Tet with banana leaves, dong leaves, banana filling, and five-color shell that is extremely delicious and eye-catching.
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How to Wrap Banh Tet with Banana Leaves
Banh Tet wrapped in banana leaves has a natural light green color and a fresh, fragrant taste.
Ingredients for Making Banh Tet with Banana Leaves
- 2 – 3 kg of glutinous rice.
- 600g peeled mung beans.
- 700g pork belly.
- 30g salt.
- 300 – 400g pandan leaves to create natural color for the rice.
- Meat marinade spices: salt, fish sauce, sugar, minced shallots, and ground pepper.
- Banana leaves (can be dried or blanched in boiling water to soften).
- Strings for tying the cake (banana string, cotton string, or lạt string).
- Tray, spoon, chopsticks, bowl.
Ingredients for making Banh Tet with banana leaves include glutinous rice, pork belly, mung beans, banana leaves,…
💡Tip for choosing good banana leaves:
Choose banana leaves that are about 40x40cm in size, green, flexible, not torn or yellowed to make it easier to wrap Banh Tet.
How to Make Banh Tet with Banana Leaves
Step 1: Prepare and Color the Glutinous Rice
Soak glutinous rice and mung beans: Wash the glutinous rice and mung beans. Then soak each type separately with a little salt and water for about 8-10 hours or overnight. Salt helps prevent the beans from becoming sour when soaked for a long time, helping the cake to be preserved longer.
Color the rice: Wash the pandan leaves, then chop them and grind or squeeze to extract the juice. Then mix the pandan juice with the glutinous rice that has been washed and drained after soaking. Pandan leaves when mixed with glutinous rice will create a beautiful green color and a more delicious flavor for the cake.
Step 2: Prepare and Marinate the Meat
Prepare the meat: Wash the pork belly with salt and blanch it in boiling water. Take the meat out and cut it into long pieces depending on the length of the Banh Tet you need to wrap, usually 17cm long and 2cm thick.
Marinate the meat: Mix the meat well with the spices including: salt, fish sauce, sugar, minced shallots, and pepper. To allow the meat to absorb the spices, you should marinate for about 3-4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Step 3: Make the Filling
Cook the mung beans: Drain the soaked mung beans, then boil them with 1 teaspoon of salt. When boiling, you need to pour water about 1.5cm above the beans. Keep the heat at medium and let the beans boil for about 7 minutes, then reduce the heat and cover the pot until the beans are cooked and soft, then turn off the heat.
Make the filling: Spread a layer of cling film and spread the mung beans evenly on top. Place the meat in the middle of the bean layer and roll it up. Then, pinch both ends and adjust so that the filling is round, even, and firm.
💡 To make it easier to mash the beans, do it while the beans are still hot. After the beans have cooled down a bit, proceed to shape the filling.
Step 4: Wrap Banh Tet
Place banana leaves: Place 2 banana leaves on top of each other with the surface facing down and the veins of the leaves parallel in front of you. Take another smaller banana leaf and place it on top. Note that the top leaf should be placed with the surface facing up and the veins facing down.
Wrap the body of the cake: Spread a thin layer of glutinous rice on the banana leaves and place the filling roll in the middle. Then add another thin layer of glutinous rice on top to cover the filling. Roll the banana leaves around and secure with a temporary string. Then, hold the bottom of the cake and stand it upright, gently pat to let the rice settle, then gently press to firm.
Wrap the ends of the cake: Continue to fold the leaves at both ends of the cake and fold the remaining leaves neatly. Place two small leaves perpendicular to the ends of the cake to cover, tie a temporary string to hold, then repeat with the other end of the cake.
Tie the cake: Cut a string about 50-60 cm long, then tie it tightly at both ends of the cake to keep the filling inside. Then, wrap the string around the body of the cake from the middle, each round about 2-3 cm apart, so that the string is even. When finished wrapping, tie a final knot to secure the cake and help it keep its shape when boiling.
Check the tightness of the cake: After tying, gently shake the cake to check its firmness. A properly tied cake will have the banana leaves and filling inside held firmly, helping the cake maintain a round cylindrical shape and cook evenly when boiled.
Step 5: Cook the Cake
- Place a layer of banana leaves at the bottom of the pot, arrange the cakes alternately and pour water into the pot so that it covers the cakes.
- Boil the cake for about 8 to 10 hours and make sure there is always enough water to cover the cake so that it cooks evenly.
- After cooking, take the cake out and soak it in cold water to cool it down quickly and drain the water.
How to Wrap Banh Tet with Dong Leaves
Banh Tet wrapped in dong leaves has a darker green color. The aroma of dong leaves blends with the chewy glutinous rice to create a characteristic, rich flavor. Banh Tet with dong leaves usually has a savory filling and a fatty taste.
Ingredients for Making Banh Tet with Dong Leaves
- 2kg glutinous rice.
- 800g pork belly.
- 700g peeled mung beans.
- Dong leaves.
- Pandan leaves.
- Bamboo strings.
- Shallots.
- Spices: salt, pepper, sugar, seasoning powder, MSG.
💡Tip for buying good dong leaves:
Prioritize buying forest dong leaves, large, thick, evenly dark green, not torn or yellowed. Choose dong leaves with clear veins and a smooth feel when touched.
How to Make Banh Tet with Dong Leaves
Step 1: Soak Glutinous Rice with Pandan Leaves
Wash the glutinous rice and soak it with a little salt. Then, mix the glutinous rice with the pandan juice that has been finely ground. Soak the rice with pandan juice for about 4 hours so that the rice has a beautiful green color.
Step 2: Prepare Mung Beans
Wash the mung beans and steam them until cooked, then drain. Sauté the minced shallots until fragrant and mix with the mung beans and spices including: pepper, sugar, salt, and seasoning powder. Then stir the mung beans well to absorb the spices and mash them.
Step 3: Marinate Pork Belly
Wash the pork and soak it in diluted salt water for a few minutes to remove the odor. Then, rinse the meat, drain, and cut into long pieces. Marinate the meat with spices including: pepper, sugar, salt, MSG, and minced shallots for about 30 minutes to absorb the spices.
Step 4: Wrap the Cake
Dong leaves must be washed and completely dried before wrapping the cake to limit mold. Then, arrange three layers of dong leaves, spread the glutinous rice evenly along the length of the leaves. Place the mung bean and meat filling in the middle and add more glutinous rice on top.
Roll the dong leaves tightly and use bamboo strings to temporarily tie the middle of the cake to fix it. Fold one end of the leaf, stand the cake upright and tap gently to let the rice fall down, then fold the remaining leaf end. Use strings to tie and evenly space them along the body of the cake.
Step 5: Boil the Cake
Place a layer of dong leaves at the bottom of the pot, arrange the cakes and pour water to cover. Cook the cakes for about 8 hours over high heat. You need to pay attention to add more water when the water in the pot runs out, ensuring that the cake is always submerged in water, helping the cake to cook evenly.
How to Make Banh Tet with Banana Filling
Banh Tet with banana filling is a sweet type of Banh Tet, suitable for vegetarians or those who want to change their taste.
Ingredients for Making Banana Banh Tet
- 1kg glutinous rice.
- 100g black beans.
- 20 siamese bananas.
- 400ml coconut milk.
- Spices: sugar, salt.
- 1 bundle of strings.
- Banana leaves.
💡 Tip for buying good bananas:
To make Banh Tet with the best banana flavor, you should choose sứ bananas or xiêm bananas that are ripe, evenly yellow, and not bruised.
How to Wrap Sweet Banana Banh Tet
Step 1: Prepare Glutinous Rice, Black Beans, and Bananas
- Glutinous rice: Wash the glutinous rice and soak it overnight. After soaking, rinse it again and drain.
- Black beans: Wash the black beans and soak them for about 3 hours, then take them out. Boil the beans with water and a little salt until they are slightly soft, then remove and drain.
- Bananas: Peel the bananas, split them in half, then marinate with a little salt and sugar. Let the bananas marinate for about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Stir-fry Glutinous Rice with Coconut Milk and Black Beans
Heat the coconut milk with a little water on the stove. When the coconut milk is hot, add sugar and salt and stir well to dissolve. Add the glutinous rice to the pan and stir-fry with the coconut milk until the rice absorbs all the water, becomes dry and chewy. After the rice has cooled, mix in the black beans.
Step 3: Wrap the Cake
Arrange banana leaves: Place two large banana leaves on top of each other, with the smooth side facing out and the rough side facing in. Place the third banana leaf on top of the previous two with the smooth side facing up.
Wrap Banh Tet: Scoop a bowl of glutinous rice and spread it evenly on the third leaf. Place about 2 bananas in the middle, then roll tightly. Then, fold the two ends of the leaves and use 2 more small banana leaves to cover the two ends of the cake. Finally, use strings to tie the cake tightly lengthwise and crosswise to secure.
Step 4: Boil the Cake
Place the cake in a pot of boiling water, making sure the water covers the cake, and cook over high heat for about 3 hours. After boiling, rinse with cold water and hang the cake to dry.
How to Make Five-Color Banh Tet
Five-color Banh Tet has an eye-catching colorful shell and is often made during Tet holidays, symbolizing luck and prosperity.
Ingredients for Wrapping Five-Color Banh Tet
- 3kg glutinous rice.
- 1/2 gac fruit.
- 500g magenta leaves.
- 100g pandan leaves.
- 1kg pork belly.
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onions.
- 1200ml coconut milk.
- 1kg peeled mung beans.
- Banana leaves.
- Banana strings.
- Spices: sugar, salt.
💡 Tips for buying good magenta leaves and gac fruit:
- Magenta leaves: Choose magenta leaves that are dark purple, shiny, smooth, not wormy, torn, wilted, or have yellow spots.
- Gac fruit: Choose ripe red fruit, with a plump skin, evenly spread spines, not bruised.
How to Make Five-Color Banh Tet
Step 1: Prepare and Create Five Colors for Glutinous Rice
Wash the glutinous rice and divide it into 4 equal parts (about 750g each). Each part will be soaked with magenta leaves, pandan leaves, and gac fruit to create 4 colors: purple, red, green, and white for the rice:
- Wash the magenta leaves and then put them in a pot and boil with enough water to cover the surface. Cook until the water is reduced to about 1 cup, then turn off the heat. Mix the magenta leaf juice with 1 part of the divided glutinous rice and leave overnight. Then take the rice out and let it dry, and you have a beautiful purple rice.
- Soak the gac fruit with 1 tablespoon of white wine. Then mix with 1 part of the glutinous rice and leave for 30 minutes, and you have an impressive red glutinous rice.
- Grind the pandan leaves to extract the juice. Mix with 1 part of the glutinous rice and soak for about 30 minutes, and you have an eye-catching green glutinous rice.
Step 2: Marinate the Meat
Wash the pork belly, cut it into long pieces with a width of 2cm and blanch in boiling water to remove the odor. Marinate the meat with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt and green onions. Then hang the meat up and sun-dry for 20 minutes to allow the meat to absorb the spices.
Step 3: Steam Glutinous Rice with Coconut Milk
Boil 900ml of coconut milk with 5 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. After the mixture comes to a gentle boil, turn off the heat and let it cool.
Steam the glutinous rice separately according to each color for about 10 minutes. Then open the lid and stir well, then cover and steam for another 10 minutes. When the rice is soft, pour the coconut milk over it and continue steaming for another 10 minutes. Repeat the step of pouring coconut milk a second time and steam for another 10 minutes until the rice is chewy.
Step 4: Make Mung Bean Filling for the Cake
Wash the mung beans, soak overnight and drain. Then cook the beans with 300ml of coconut milk until the beans are soft. Season with 200g of sugar and a little salt, then grind or mash the beans.
Divide the mung beans into equal portions, spread the mung beans on banana leaves and place the meat in the middle, then roll into a cylinder. You can also add salted egg yolks if you want a richer filling.
Step 5: Wrap the Cake
Wash the banana leaves, wipe dry and cut into pieces about 2 hand spans long. Place three layers of banana leaves on top of each other. The first 2 layers with the smooth side out and the shiny side in. The 3rd banana leaf is placed on top with the smooth side facing up.
Spread each layer of glutinous rice in the order of white, purple, green, and red. Then place the filling in the middle and roll it up, securing it with a horizontal string. Use additional small leaves to cover the two ends of the cake to prevent water from entering the cake during cooking. Use more strings to tie the cake tightly lengthwise and crosswise.
Step 6: Boil the Cake
Arrange the cakes in a pot and steam for about 4 hours for large cakes and about 2 hours for small cakes. After boiling, rinse the cakes with cold water and let them dry.
Important Notes When Making Banh Tet for Tet
To wrap delicious Banh Tet, you also need to pay attention to choosing fresh ingredients, wrapping the cake tightly, and boiling it properly.
Choosing Good Ingredients
- Choose glutinous rice: Choose glutinous rice with large, round, opaque white grains that are not broken. Freshly ground rice usually has a natural, pleasant aroma. Avoid choosing rice that has been stored for a long time or has a musty smell to ensure the cake has a good flavor and chewiness.
- Choose pork belly: Choose meat with a balanced ratio of lean meat and fat, with a fat layer of 1.5 to 2cm thick so that the cake is delicious and fatty when cooked. Fresh meat usually has a light pink color, dry skin, and good elasticity when pressed. Avoid choosing meat that has a dark color or a strange smell.
Wrap the Cake Tightly
To make the Banh Tet have a beautiful shape and cook evenly, it is necessary to wrap the cake tightly but not too tight. During the wrapping process, you can gently press the ingredients so that they stick together, avoiding the situation where the cake is loose or absorbs water. When tying the string, make sure the cake maintains a cylindrical shape and is not distorted.
Tips for Boiling Delicious Banh Tet
- Check the boiling water regularly: Always make sure the cake is submerged in water when boiling so that the cake does not become dry. If the water runs out, add more boiling water to ensure the cake cooks evenly.
- Boil thoroughly for soft and chewy cake: When boiling for about 1.5-2 hours, you can turn the cake over to cook evenly on both sides.
- Change the water during the boiling process: To prevent the cake from becoming dry and to have a beautiful color, after boiling for half the time, take the cake out and rinse it with cold water, change to a new pot of water and continue boiling.
- Cooling and Storage: After the cake is cooked, soak it in cold water, roll it gently to remove the stickiness, then let it dry or hang it up. If the weather is cold, the cake can be left outside for a few days; if you want to store it longer, wrap the cake tightly and keep it in the refrigerator.
These notes will help you ensure the finished Banh Tet is delicious, beautiful, can be stored for a long time, and retains the traditional flavor when enjoyed.
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Conclusion
With the 4 detailed ways to wrap Banh Tet with banana leaves, dong leaves, banana filling, and five-color above, Kamereo hopes to have helped you make delicious Banh Tet and beautifully decorate your Tet feast. Take the time to wrap Banh Tet and gather with family and loved ones, so that the reunion Tet season is always full of love. Don’t forget to follow the Food and Life category to update more useful information from Kamereo!
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