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1. Advantages of wrapping banh chung with dong leaves
Wrapping banh chung with dong leaves offers several advantages over wrapping with banana leaves, making it preferred by many, especially during Tet. Compared to wrapping with banana leaves, using dong leaves gives the cake a fresher, more appealing green color and imparts a unique flavor - a subtle bitterness from the leaves. With each bite, you can distinctly taste the delicate harmony of sweet mung bean, rich fatty pork, and refreshing dong leaves, making it exceptionally delicious, especially when paired with pickled onions and radishes.
2. Preparing ingredients for wrapping banh chung with dong leaves
To achieve a final product with soft, tender exterior and flavorful filling, meticulous ingredient preparation and selection are crucial in wrapping banh chung with dong leaves. Here's how to choose quality ingredients for wrapping banh chung that you should know:
2.1. Preparing Dong Leaves
For dong leaf banh chung, it's essential to have fresh dong leaves. The leaves should not be too young or too old, not too wide, but they should be large and vibrant green. When purchasing, carefully inspect the outer part to ensure the leaves are not torn, wilted, and have a certain level of flexibility, which makes them easier to wrap.
2.2. Preparing Binding Strings
Binding strings are used to secure and shape the cake. You should choose thin, soft, and flexible strings. You can also calculate based on the ratio of 1 cake using from 2 to 8 strings depending on whether you want to tie them into a cross shape (2 strings horizontally and vertically) or a checkerboard pattern (from 4 to 8 strings).
2.3. Preparing Glutinous Rice
To ensure the banh chung is soft, tender, and flavorful, selecting the right glutinous rice is crucial. You should prepare glutinous rice with even, plump grains, preferably using the glutinous rice variety with yellow flowers. After selecting the rice, soak it in water for about 8 hours, then drain and let it dry.
2.4. Preparing Mung Beans and Pork Belly
In wrapping banh chung with dong leaves, the filling is as important as the exterior. The filling consists of 2 main ingredients: mung beans and pork belly along with other traditional spices.
- For mung beans, choose small-seeded, yellowish mung beans for a richer flavor. After grinding, soak the beans in water for 1-2 hours, then remove the green skin, cook until tender, and mash them into round balls according to the specified amount for easy wrapping later.
- For pork belly, when buying meat for Tet banh chung, avoid overly lean cuts; it should have some fat for richness. Rinse the meat thoroughly, cut into slices about 0.5cm thick, and marinate with pepper for about 15 minutes.
3. Wrapping banh chung with dong leaves in just 3 simple steps
Here is a detailed guide on how to wrap banh chung with dong leaves quickly, deliciously, and beautifully in just 3 steps for your reference:
3.1. Preparing and Cutting Dong Leaves
After purchasing dong leaves, thoroughly wash each leaf and surface as the leaf ribs can be quite dirty. Then, dry them and let them drain in a basket. When starting to wrap the cake, trim off the thick ribs of the leaves to make the wrapping easier and more aesthetically pleasing, but be careful not to trim too deep, causing the leaves to split.
Measure the size of the mold. Fold the leaves in half so that the central vein is straight and aligned, then crease to create folds, and cut according to the measured size of the mold. When cutting, make it slightly smaller by about 0.3cm as multiple layers of leaves will be stacked during wrapping.
Pro Tip: You can use the removed stiff leaf ribs as a measuring tool by cutting a piece to the same length and using it as a guide when cutting the rest of the leaves.
3.2. Folding Dong Leaves and Placing them in the Cake Mold
Each banh chung requires about 4 dong leaves including both inner and outer leaves. Here's how:
- Inner leaves: Fold the leaf in half with the shiny side facing inwards, fold it into a triangle shape, and use your fingers to create folds. Open the leaf wide, while using your left hand to hold the left end of the leaf steady, use your right hand to keep the leaf flat. Then, use your right thumb to press the triangle fold inward while simultaneously moving your left hand to lift the leaf up into 2 perpendicular flat planes.
- Outer leaves: for the outer wrapping leaves, fold them in the same way as above but fold 2 small pieces of leaves inside for neatness.
Once the leaves are folded, place the outer leaves in two opposite corners of the cake mold, interweaving the small pieces of leaves underneath. Next, place the two inner leaves in the remaining two opposite corners of the mold, then insert some additional trimmed leaves into the gaps.
3.3. Wrapping the Cake and Finishing Touches
Place the binding string underneath the cake mold, then layer the ingredients in sequence: 1 layer of glutinous rice, mung beans, pork belly (optional: add onions as desired), and finally, another layer of glutinous rice.
Press down the two sides of the dong leaves, smoothing them flat, then create triangular edges at the two opposite ends and fold the two triangular ends together. Remove the mold from the cake, then securely tie the string around the cake first, followed by tying the remaining strings according to preference to complete.
4. Boiling and Preserving Dong Leaf Banh Chung
After learning how to wrap banh chung with dong leaves, there is still one final step in the Tet banh chung-making process, which is boiling the cake. You need to prepare a large pot and boil the banh chung over a wood fire for several hours to achieve the authentic Tet flavor and enhance its deliciousness. Arrange all the cakes in the pot, pour water, and boil for 8-10 hours. After the cakes are cooked, keep them in a cool place. If your family wraps a large quantity of cakes, it's best to store them in the refrigerator. When serving, you can re-steam or fry them as desired.
