11 tips for cooking delicious, naturally green bánh chưng without sticky rice, wonderfully fragrant

Bánh chưng, an indispensable dish in every family's Tet meal, yet not everyone knows how to cook it to perfection—green, chewy, and naturally fragrant without being mushy. In this article, Team PasGo reveals 11 ways to cook bánh chưng deliciously, chewily, and without sticky, wet rice, to help you prepare a pot of delicious bánh chưng for Tet 2024!

1. How to cook delicious, non-sticky rice bánh chưng

Choosing the right pot for boiling bánh chưng

The first key to cooking delicious, green, quickly ripened bánh chưng is choosing the right pot. Typically, people use tin pots to cook bánh chưng quickly and achieve a beautiful green color.

The secret to cooking delicious, green, quickly ripened bánh chưng lies in choosing a tin pot.

Arranging bánh chưng for boiling

One way to keep bánh chưng leaves green while cooking is by how you arrange them in the pot. Stack the bánh chưng vertically in the pot, making sure they fit tightly together.

The key to keeping bánh chưng leaves green lies in how you arrange them in the pot

Boiling bánh chưng with hot or cold water

Many wonder whether boiling bánh chưng with hot or cold water is more suitable. Start with cold water, but midway through, add hot water to ensure even cooking.

How long to boil bánh chưng?

Typically, bánh chưng is boiled for 8 to 12 hours, depending on its size. Smaller bánh chưng may take 8-10 hours, while larger ones may require 10-12 hours. The heat should be maintained at a moderate level throughout the boiling process, neither too high nor too low.

2. Secrets to keeping bánh chưng leaves green

These natural and visually appealing methods for keeping bánh chưng leaves green will help you make delicious batches for Tet.

Soak glutinous rice in ash water

Ash water contains mild alkaline properties, so many people soak glutinous rice in it when making bánh chưng. The purpose is to achieve a beautiful green color and a distinctive aroma. Typically, you soak the rice in ash water for about 3 - 4 hours or overnight.

The key to keeping bánh chưng leaves green is soaking the glutinous rice in ash water

Use leaves from galangal

You can also use mashed galangal leaves to extract water and mix it with glutinous rice. This way, bánh chưng will be chewier, more fragrant, beautifully green from the skin to the filling, and will have a very special aroma.

The method for boiling green bánh chưng is soaking glutinous rice with mashed galangal leaves

Use lemon juice or pandan leaf water

Lemon juice creates an alkaline environment, and pandan leaf water does the same. Therefore, you can soak the rice in pandan leaf water for about 3 hours. As for lemon juice, because it is more alkaline, you just need to squeeze it in. This way, the bánh will cook faster and have a natural green color.

The method for boiling green bánh chưng is to use lemon juice or pandan leaf water

Use baking soda

A little-known method for cooking delicious green bánh chưng is to add baking soda to the mix. This not only makes the bánh green but also speeds up the cooking process.

The method for boiling green bánh chưng is to use baking soda

3. Method for preserving bánh chưng for a long time

Blanch banana leaves with boiling water to wrap the bánh

When cooking naturally green bánh chưng, you should also blanch the leaves with boiling water before wrapping. This method also helps to eliminate any mold or fungus clinging to the dong leaves.

The method for cooking naturally green bánh chưng is to blanch the leaves with boiling water

Rinse the bánh after boiling

Once the bánh is cooked, remove it from the pot and immediately place it in a basin of water. Rinse off any sticky residue on the outer surface of the bánh to ensure it is clean. This will help the bánh appear greener, taste better, and last longer.

The method for boiling green bánh chưng is to rinse the bánh after boiling

4. Method for boiling bánh chưng without bursting

Using banana leaves to line the bottom of the pot is a method for boiling bánh chưng without bursting. When cooking bánh chưng, placing banana leaves underneath and around the inner surface of the pot not only protects the bánh but also prevents it from burning or sticking. It also helps the cooking water to become greener.

Using banana leaves to line the bottom of the pot is a method for boiling bánh chưng without bursting

5. Method for boiling bánh chưng without becoming mushy

To prevent bánh chưng from becoming soggy, apply pressure using a heavy object after boiling.

For firm bánh chưng, employ the technique of compressing the cakes with a weight post-boiling.

Hoping that our 11 natural methods for cooking vibrant green bánh chưng, shared by Team PasGo, will aid you in achieving visually appealing and flavorful Tết cakes! Wishing you success in your bánh chưng-making endeavors from the very first try.

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