Bánh Chưng

Name: Bánh Chưng
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 270 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 3 cups sticky rice, soaked 2 hours; 1 cup dried mung beans, soaked 2 hours, cooked until tender; 6 oz pork shoulder, cubed; 4 small shallots, minced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp fish sauce; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/8 tsp black pepper; 2 tsp vegetable oil; 6 banana leaves, softened over flame, cut into squares; 4 cups water for cooking

Square sticky rice cake filled with pork and mung beans, a traditional Vietnamese breakfast and festival dish.

270 minMediumServes 6280 cal/serving

VietnameseBreakfastStovetopStandard

Ingredients

3 cups sticky rice, soaked 2 hours
1 cup dried mung beans, soaked 2 hours, cooked until tender
6 oz pork shoulder, cubed
4 small shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil
6 banana leaves, softened over flame, cut into squares
4 cups water for cooking

Instructions

1

Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in a pan and sauté 4 cloves minced garlic and 4 small minced shallots until fragrant.
2

Add 6 oz cubed pork shoulder and cook until no longer pink (about 8 minutes). Season with 1 tsp fish sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Set aside to cool.
3

Drain the soaked 2 hours sticky rice and cook it in boiling 4 cups water for cooking for 5-7 minutes, then drain.
4

Drain the soaked 2 hours, cooked until tender dried mung beans.
5

On each softened over flame, cut into squares banana leaves, layer the cooked sticky rice to form a square base (about 1 inch thick).
6

In the center, place a small portion of pork shoulder mixture, then cover with dried mung beans, then top with more sticky rice.
7

Fold the banana leaves into a square package, securing the edges with kitchen twine.
8

Place all packages in a pot and fill with water for cooking to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3-4 hours, keeping the water level constant.
9

Remove the bánh chưng and let cool. Serve sliced, at room temperature or reheated.

Questions

How long does Bánh Chưng keep?

Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and eat them within three days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Can I halve or double Bánh Chưng?

Yes. As written it serves 6. Every ingredient in this entry carries precomputed half and double quantities, and the app's batch dial rewrites them inside each step. When doubling on the stovetop, use your widest pan or work in two batches so the food sears instead of steaming.

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