4 beautiful and simple ways to wrap sticky rice cakes

Sticky rice cakes are an indispensable dish on Tet holiday in Northern Vietnam, made from glutinous rice and pork. Moreover, the process of wrapping sticky rice cakes is an opportunity for family members to gather together. However, not everyone has enough experience and techniques to create a firm and non-bursting cake. Let’s explore how to beautifully and simply wrap sticky rice cakes by hand with Kamereo in the following article!

*Wrapping sticky rice cakes on Tet is a bonding family activity*

Prepare banana leaves for wrapping sticky rice cakes
1. Guide to choosing banana leaves for wrapping sticky rice cakes
2. Prepare banana leaves before wrapping
Guide to simple wrapping of sticky rice cakes
Some notes on choosing dong leaves when wrapping Sticky Rice Cakes
Summary

Prepare banana leaves for wrapping sticky rice cakes

Before learning how to wrap sticky rice cakes, you need to prepare banana leaves. This is an essential ingredient for making the cake soft and flavorful.

Guide to choosing banana leaves for wrapping sticky rice cakes

Banana leaves are one of the materials for wrapping sticky rice cakes. If you can choose a good type of leaves, it can help the cake have a lush green color, eye-catching, and more delicious. Here are some tips for choosing banana leaves for wrapping sticky rice cakes:

Leaves should not be too old or too young, have a dark green color, medium-width leaves, good elasticity, and not brittle.
The leaves should be intact, without tears or holes. If the leaves are torn, it can cause the cake to open and leak water and rice.
The leaves should be free from pests and diseases to ensure food safety.
Choose banana leaves with a distinctive fragrance, avoiding leaves with a foul smell or no smell.

*Banana leaves are an important material in the process of wrapping sticky rice cakes*

Following these tips will help you easily choose the right banana leaves for wrapping Tet cakes.

Prepare banana leaves before wrapping

Before performing the steps to wrap sticky rice cakes, you need to prepare the banana leaves to make them soft, easy to wrap, and have a beautiful green color. The process of preparing banana leaves is as follows:

Step 1: Soak banana leaves in clean water for about 30 – 45 minutes to make them soft and clean.

Step 2: Use a soft cloth to clean the banana leaves, removing dirt and black spots on the leaves.

Step 3: Fold the banana leaves along the length to make the leaves suitable for the size of the cake.

Note: You need to carefully prepare banana leaves to remove unnecessary impurities attached to the outside of the leaves.

Guide to simple wrapping of sticky rice cakes

Currently, there are many ways to wrap sticky rice cakes, such as wrapping with a mold, without a mold, using banana leaves, etc. Depending on the region, the method may be adapted to suit. Below are the steps to wrap square sticky rice cakes, a method commonly used by many people:

How to wrap sticky rice cakes with a live banana leaf mold

You will need 4 banana leaves and 4 flat threads to wrap the cake in this way. Here are the steps to wrap sticky rice cakes with a live mold leaf:

Step 1: Clean the banana leaves and dry them with a cloth. Fold the leaves with the dark green side down, and fold the edge of the leaves horizontally, leaving a distance from the edge to the stem about 2 finger joints. Fold the leaves, crease the folding lines, and do the same with the remaining 3 leaves.

*Fold the banana leaves to create creases*

Step 2: Cut the 4 folded leaves evenly. Open the leaves, continue to fold diagonally and fold the excess part inside. Then, place a weight to keep the leaf creases, and then stack the 4 leaves on top of each other to create a mold, adjust the leaves, and thread the flat thread under the mold.

Step 3: Place the ingredients in order: glutinous rice, mung beans, pork, mung beans, and glutinous rice. Then, compress tightly to fix the cake filling. Fold the opposite edges of the leaves and temporarily tie to secure the cake. Continue to fold the remaining leaves, adjust to make the cake square.

*Place the ingredients into the mold and fold the leaves*

Step 4: Tie the flat thread to create a checkered pattern on the surface of the cake, not too tight. Gently adjust the corners of the cake to ensure a square shape and even filling inside.

*You need to tie the thread to create a pattern for the cake*

Guide to wrapping sticky rice cakes with banana leaves without a mold

If you don’t use a live banana leaf mold, you will need 3 banana leaves and 4 flat threads. Here is the guide on how to wrap square sticky rice cakes without a mold:

Step 1: Use a knife to cut the stem of the banana leaf without cutting too deep. Place the dark green side of one banana leaf downwards along the vertical direction. With the remaining 2 banana leaves, place the dark green side up and stack them halfway on the bottom leaf.

*Arrange banana leaves to prepare for wrapping sticky rice cakes without a mold*

Step 2: Put the ingredients in the order: glutinous rice, mung beans, pork, mung beans, and glutinous rice. Hold the two folded edges of the leaves vertically and roll one side of the leaf tightly against the glutinous rice to fix the filling. Fold the remaining part of the leaf above, stand the cake and press it down on the table to evenly distribute the rice.

*Place the filling in the middle and fold the leaves*

Step 3: Place the cake horizontally on the table and prepare 4 threads. Then thread one thread down the right side of the cake, loop it around, and twist the two ends together. Continue to thread one end of the thread into the flat thread lying horizontally on the cake to secure it. Repeat the process with the remaining 3 threads.

Step 4: This is a square cake wrapped without using a banana leaf mold. In a few simple steps, you have a square and beautiful sticky rice cake that is ready to be cooked and enjoyed on Tet holiday.

How to Wrap Square Sticky Rice Cakes with Banana Leaves and Cardboard

Sticky rice cakes can be wrapped using this method, utilizing 3 banana leaves (cut into small pieces), 1 cardboard box, and a 2.5m long nylon string. Here’s a guide on how to wrap square sticky rice cakes with banana leaves and cardboard:

Step 1: Choose a thick cardboard box to make the cake mold more sturdy. The size of the cardboard box can depend on the desired size of the sticky rice cake.

*You need to choose cardboard of the appropriate size*

Step 2: Clean the banana leaves, sun-dry them to reduce moisture, then cut them into 6 large pieces suitable for the cardboard box and 4 smaller pieces matching the height of the box.

Step 3: Fold one large leaf in half and thread it through the box, then fold the leaf down along the edge of the box. Repeat this with the remaining 3 large leaves. Place 2 large leaves diagonally across the box, with the darker side facing upwards. Fold 4 small leaves in half and place them in the four corners of the box.

*Proceed to fold banana leaves to create a mold*

Step 4: Place the ingredients in the mold in the following order: glutinous rice, mung beans, pork, mung beans, and glutinous rice. Press firmly to compact the ingredients. Fold the opposite edges of the leaves and tie them temporarily to secure the cake. Continue folding the remaining leaves to shape the cake.

*Put the filling into the mold and proceed to wrap the banh chung*

Step 5: Tie the string to create a checkered pattern on the cake, not too tight. Adjust the corners of the cake to ensure a square shape and even filling. Gently lift the cardboard box.

Step 6: Thread 1/4 of the string’s length under the cake, slightly to the right. Twist the two ends to create a parallel line with the previously tied string. Repeat this process with the remaining strings, creating 4 diagonal lines on the cake. Wrap the long string around the cake and tie it to secure.

*The appearance is no less than the traditional way of wrapping banh chung*

By using just one cardboard box and a nylon string, you can elegantly wrap a square and beautiful sticky rice cake with banana leaves. After cooking, the cake will maintain its square and attractive shape.

Instructions for Wrapping without String

To wrap sticky rice cakes without using string, you’ll need 3 banana leaves. For this method, lightly stir-frying the glutinous rice is crucial to make it soft and sticky, facilitating easy shaping during wrapping. Here are the steps for wrapping square sticky rice cakes with beautiful and neat banana leaves:

Step 1: Clean the banana leaves with a damp cloth. Then, sun-dry the leaves for about 10 – 15 minutes to reduce moisture. Cut the leaves into 3 pieces, each about 35cm wide. Stack 2 pieces with the dark green side facing down and the remaining piece with the dark green side facing up.

*Prepare banana leaves to wrap banh chung*

Step 2: Arrange the ingredients on the leaves with the dark green side facing up in the following order: a layer of stir-fried glutinous rice, a layer of mung beans, a layer of pork, another layer of mung beans, and finally, a layer of stir-fried glutinous rice. Fold two edges of the leaves crisscross into the center.

*Put the filling into the prepared banana leaves*

Step 3: Hold the folded glutinous rice firmly with one hand, unfold one side of the leaves with the other hand, and place the cake on the table. Gently press down to evenly distribute the rice. Next, fold the remaining part of the leaves from the top, trimming excess leaves if necessary.

*Fold the leaves to keep the filling inside*

Step 4: Place the cake on one side, unfold the remaining side of the leaves, and repeat the same process. Then, flip the cake so that the folded edges of the leaves are crisscrossed in a diamond shape. Fold the two crisscrossed edges into the center, and then fold the two ends on either side tightly to create a square shape.

Step 5: Cut the banana leaves into two strings, each about 25cm long. Use these to tie the cake, creating two perpendicular lines to secure it.

*Continue wrapping Banh Chung with another leaf and secure it with banana leaf fibers*

Some notes on choosing dong leaves when wrapping Sticky Rice Cakes

Additional Tips for Choosing Dong Leaves When Wrapping Sticky Rice Cakes:

Fresh dong leaves give the cake a vibrant green color and a more delightful aroma.
Choose dong leaves that are intact, without tears or holes, and free from pests or diseases.
Soak dong leaves in clean water for 30 – 45 minutes to soften them before cleaning with a soft cloth to remove impurities and black spots.
Ensure the cake is tightly wrapped by hand to prevent it from opening or tearing.

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Summary

Above are simple, beautiful ways to wrap banh chung that you can make right at home. Hopefully this article will help you easily wrap a square, plump banh chung. Don’t forget to follow the latest articles in the Food Tips section!

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