-
Preparation
6 hours
-
Difficulty
Easy
The simple, rustic vegetarian bánh chưng still reflects the characteristics of the Tết holiday in Vietnam. If you are hesitant to eat fatty meat or are a vegetarian, this bánh chưng will be a great choice for you. Let’s join the kitchen and wrap these delicious vegetarian bánh chưng right away.
Ingredients for Vegetarian Bánh Chưng For 6 people
Sticky rice 450 gr Mung beans 200 gr (peeled) Vegetarian seasoning 1 teaspoon Green onion 3 stalks Cooking oil 5 tablespoons Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose good sticky rice
- For wrapping bánh chưng, you can choose sticky rice such as ngỗng, cái hoa vàng or bắc, each type of rice has a different stickiness depending on the properties of the rice. However, good sticky rice usually has round, plump, short grains, and a milky white color.
- You should choose plump, uniform grains; if you press a grain of sticky rice with your fingernail and it is hard to break, then that is good sticky rice, and it shouldn’t be old rice, which is prone to rot.
- New sticky rice often has a characteristic fragrant smell, slightly sweet. Avoid buying sticky rice that smells musty, damp, or has unusual odors.
How to choose good mung beans
- For wrapping bánh chưng, you should use mung beans that have been peeled. For peeled mung beans, note to choose shiny, bright yellow beans, with uniform size and color.
- You can check the plumpness of the beans by pressing your finger into the mung bean; if the bean is crispy, easy to break but does not create many small crumbs, then that is good mung beans.
- Fresh mung beans usually have a light, characteristic fragrance. Avoid choosing beans that smell damp or have unusual odors.
- Avoid choosing beans with black spots, dull colors, or uneven sizes. Especially do not choose mung beans that show signs of being eaten by pests or have many black specks.
-800x450-13.jpg "How to Make Delicious and Nutritious Vegetarian Banh Chung at Home 2")
Tools needed
How to prepare Vegetarian Banh Chung
-
Preparation
Wash the sticky rice and mung beans in two bowls, gently rinsing them with water 5 – 6 times until clean. Next, pour enough water to cover the sticky rice and mung beans by about 2 finger breadths and let them soak overnight.
Cut the roots off 3 green onions, remove the tough, dark green leaves, wash them clean, and then chop them finely.
Next, heat 5 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan until hot, then add all the chopped green onions and fry until golden. After that, strain the fried green onions through a sieve to drain the oil.
Tip: Fry the green onions over high heat, and when they become fragrant, immediately reduce to low heat and stir evenly until they start to turn golden. At this point, turn off the heat and continue to stir for about 1 – 2 minutes before removing the pan. This way, you won’t have to worry about the green onions burning anymore.
-
Prepare the banana leaves
After buying banana leaves, use a cloth to wipe both sides along the leaf veins with warm water, then rinse with cold water and boil them in boiling water for 4 – 5 minutes until soft.
Next, remove the banana leaves and rinse them once more with water, then use a dry cloth to wipe off the water on the banana leaves.
Measure the width of the cake mold and cut the banana leaves to the correct size.
-
Making the filling
Soaked mung beans should be drained of water, then placed in a pot, covered with water, and boiled over medium heat. When the water in the pot starts to reduce and the mung beans begin to soften, reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking until the water is completely evaporated, and the beans are soft and fluffy.
Pour the mung beans into a bowl, mash them well, then add 1 teaspoon of vegetarian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, fried shallots, and 4 tablespoons of fried onion oil.
Then mix well to combine the mung beans with the spices, then divide the mung beans into 3 portions and shape each portion into a square.
Soaked sticky rice should be drained of water, then mixed evenly with 1/2 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of fried onion oil.
-
Arranging leaves and placing the filling
Insert 4 leaves into each side of the mold, then fold the leaves so that each side of the mold is between the leaves. Next, place 1 leaf vertically and 1 leaf horizontally in the center of the mold.
Then, layer the filling in the order of sticky rice, mung beans, sticky rice. Place the filling so that it is level with the top of the mold, then press down firmly on the filling, especially at the four corners of the mold.
-
Wrapping the cake
The filling has been tightly compressed in the mold, at this point you fold tightly the 2 inner leaves in, then the next 2 layers of leaves. After that, for the subsequent layers of leaves, you fold them into a triangle shape, press firmly to create creases, and then fold them in.
After folding all the top layers of leaves, you place the string in the middle and carefully flip the mold over, then wrap similarly with the layers of leaves underneath.
Once the cake is wrapped, use the string to wrap around the Bánh Chưng and tie it tightly. You tie the string alternately to create a checkerboard pattern.
-
Boiling the cake
You prepare a large pot and put the Chung cake inside, fill the pot with water up to 2/3 full, then cover it and boil the cake for about 3 to 4 hours.
Tips for naturally boiling green Chung cake: To keep the cake green after boiling, wrap the cake in aluminum foil before boiling, alternatively, you can place leftover banana leaves at the bottom of the pot before boiling.While boiling, pay attention to the water level in the pot; if you notice the water has reduced to half the pot, add more boiling water to continue boiling, do this until the boiling time is complete.
See details: Tips for naturally boiling green Chung cake, delicious and safe
-
Completion
After boiling the cake, take it out and rinse off all the slime with cold water, then use a towel to dry the cake.
Next, use a moderate weight to press down on the Chung cake to allow excess water to drain out, wait for the cake to cool down before serving.
-
Final product
The vegetarian Chung cake is fresh and beautiful, and as soon as you unwrap it, you can smell the sweet, fragrant glutinous rice. A bite reveals the perfect harmony between the delicious sticky rice, the fragrant mung beans, and the savory fried onions.
You can enjoy the Chung cake with pickled shallots to enhance the flavor and reduce greasiness.
Tips for preserving vegetarian banh chung to prevent spoilage
- To keep banh chung fresh for a long time, after boiling, let the banh chung dry completely or use a cloth to wipe off the excess water on the dong leaves.
- When not being eaten, keep the banh chung in a well-ventilated, dry place, away from other dishes to avoid mold and mildew formation.
- If you use a knife to cut the banh, ensure that the knife is clean and free from dust or other food residues.
- If you have leftover banh chung after unwrapping, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator’s cool compartment for preservation. When eating, you can steam it again or fry it crispy.
- Vegetarian banh chung contains fried onions and oil in the filling, making it more prone to spoilage compared to regular banh chung. Therefore, to ensure quality, it is best to consume vegetarian banh chung within 2 to 3 days.
See more:
Vegetarian banh chung has a beautiful vibrant green color, sweet and fragrant sticky rice, and the rich taste of mung beans. Get into the kitchen to make vegetarian banh chung to make your Tet celebration even more fulfilling this year. TasteVN wishes you success in your preparation!
