Create vibrant multicolored sticky rice cakes with just a few simple steps - Mytour

Indulge in the chewy texture of sticky rice cakes filled with luscious mung bean paste, sweet and fragrant sesame seeds. This delightful treat leaves a special impression on anyone who enjoys it. What's more, the traditional sticky rice cake is transformed with various colors, making it even more visually appealing and loved by many. Let's explore how to make multicolored sticky rice cakes with sweetness and fragrance in just a few simple steps with Mytour below!

1. Insights into multicolored sticky rice cakes

Multicolored sticky rice cakes are an indispensable traditional dish during the Han Thuc festival. Every year on the 3rd day of the 3rd lunar month, Vietnamese people make these cakes as an offering to their ancestors, expressing respect and gratitude. Made from rice flour and mung beans, agricultural treasures of our nation, these cakes are also a symbolic prayer for a year of favorable weather, peace, and prosperity.

Sticky rice cakes in the Northern style are often filled with brown sugar, while in the Central and Southern regions, mung beans are used as the filling. Whichever way they are made, the flavors are always delightful and enticing. On the Han Thuc festival, family members come together to enjoy the warmth of the traditional multicolored sticky rice cakes.

2. Making multicolored sticky rice cakes

Multicolored sticky rice cakes are beloved not only for their delicious taste but also for their vibrant and eye-catching colors, standing out on the Han Thuc festival feast. Let's showcase your culinary skills by preparing this dish in the kitchen.

Prepare the ingredients

• 500g glutinous rice flour
• Cornstarch
• 100g sugar, salt
• 30g peeled mung beans
• 80g condensed milk
• 30g pandan leaves
• 5g dried blue butterfly pea flowers
• 15g beetroot
• 1 lemon
• 100g toasted sesame seeds
• 30g grated coconut
• 1 ginger root

Creating multicolored sticky rice cakes

Step 1: Soak peeled mung beans in water for a few hours until soft. Cook the beans in a pot with enough water, about 1cm above the beans. Boil until the water evaporates, indicating the beans are cooked. Remove from heat and mash the beans until smooth.

Step 2: Mix the mashed mung beans with 2/3 of the prepared grated coconut, 100g sugar, and 30g condensed milk. Place the mixture in a non-stick pan, stirring over low heat until dry and fragrant.

Step 3: Clean the pandan leaves thoroughly, chop them, and put them in a blender. Add 100ml water and blend until smooth. Pour the pandan mixture into a cloth, squeeze to extract about 85ml of green essence.

Step 4: Cut the lemon in half, scoop out the pulp, and add 70ml water. Remove the seeds, leaving about 85ml of yellow lemon essence. Soak the dried blue butterfly pea flowers in 85ml hot water, then strain to obtain blue essence.

Step 5: Peel and cut the beetroot into small pieces. Blend it with 100ml water and strain through a cloth, extracting 85ml of red beetroot essence.

Step 6: Divide the glutinous rice flour into 5 equal parts, each weighing 100g. Add ¼ teaspoon of salt to each portion and gradually mix in 85ml of colored water (optional). Knead the dough until it becomes elastic, smooth, and doesn't stick to your hands. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.

Step 7: Repeat the process with the remaining portions of dough. For every 100g of flour, use a different colored water. After kneading, wrap each portion and let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Step 8: After the resting period, cut each small dough block into approximately 10g pieces. Shape them into rounds, press them flat to form the outer layer. Take a smaller piece of mung bean dough, shape it into a round, place it in the center of the outer layer, seal the edges, and roll it into a ball. Place the formed ball on a tray lightly dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Repeat until all the dough is used.

Step 9: Bring 2 liters of water to a boil in a pot. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium, and gently drop each ball into the pot. Cook until the balls float on the surface, indicating they are done. Let them continue to cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes before removing. This method ensures the glutinous rice balls are soft and elastic.

Step 10: Remove the balls and place them in a bowl of cold water to prevent sticking. Transfer them to a plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds and grated coconut on top, and you have completed the delightful and fragrant multicolored glutinous rice balls.

Explore more: Discover how to make sticky rice balls with glutinous rice flour

3. Finished multicolored glutinous rice balls

Delicious multicolored glutinous rice balls have evenly shaped, visually appealing balls with a smooth outer layer that doesn't crack or become too dry. When indulging, you'll experience the fragrant and chewy outer layer, the sweet and velvety mung bean filling, complemented by the delightful crunch of grated coconut—each bite a lingering delight. You can also prepare a sugarcane syrup with ginger to enjoy alongside the glutinous rice balls.

4. Secrets for delicious glutinous rice balls

When making multicolored glutinous rice balls, remember these key tips to elevate your dish to perfection:

• You can check the dryness of the mung beans by shaping them into rounds. If the mung beans don't stick to your hands when shaped, they're ready.
• Pay attention to making vibrant colored water; the color tends to fade when mixed with flour, so aim for a bold hue.
• When adding water to the flour, do so gradually to avoid a soggy texture.
• If the dough is too dry, add water slowly until it's elastic; if it's too wet, add dry flour.
• You can adjust the size of the rice balls according to preference, but avoid making them too large to prevent quick satiation.
• When placing the balls on the tray, keep them separated to prevent sticking.
• When boiling, introduce colors in stages—start with white, then light colors, and progress to darker shades. Alternatively, boil each color separately to avoid color blending.
• Aside from the mentioned colors, you can experiment with natural hues using ingredients like pumpkin, pandan leaves, green tea powder, hibiscus petals, and more.

Multicolored glutinous rice balls are delightful not only in taste but also in the warm atmosphere when shared with family. Learn this recipe to create an enticing and visually appealing dish. Stay tuned to Mytour for more delicious recipes.

You might also be interested:

• How to make delightful glutinous rice cakes using tapioca flour

• 3 Amazing recipes for delicious traditional Chinese glutinous rice balls