How to Make Delicious and Simple Multi-Colored Sticky Rice Cakes with Natural Colors

How to make Five-colored Bánh trôi

• 1

  Prepare natural colors

  Wash 30g of pandan leaves, chop them finely, then put them in a blender with 100 ml of water and blend until smooth.

  Then, pour the blended mixture into a filter cloth, squeeze out about 85ml of the juice into a separate bowl.

  Wash the passion fruit, cut it in half, add 70ml of water and squeeze to obtain about 85ml of juice, discarding the seeds.

  Dried butterfly pea flowers soak in 85ml of boiling water to extract the blue color.

  Dried hibiscus flowers soak in 85ml of boiling water to extract the pink color.

  

  

  
• 2

  Make the dough

  Put 100g of glutinous rice flour into a large bowl, then slowly pour in 85 ml of warm water, using your hands to knead until the dough is soft and pliable, not too dry, crumbly, or wet. The dough should be smooth, pliable, feel wet but not stick to your hands.

  Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

  Do the same with other colored flours. The ratio of flour to water is 100g flour to 85 ml warm water. You should make a concentrated color mixture so that when mixed with the flour, the color gradually lightens to be visually appealing.

  Knead the dough until it is smooth and pliable, and it should not stick to your hands as mentioned above.

  Tip:

  • The amount of water can vary depending on the absorbency of the flour. The dough should not be too dry (if you hold it and break it, it crumbles easily) or too wet (feels runny).
  • If the dough is too dry or wet, you can fix it by adding more dry flour or adding water gradually to adjust.

  

  

  
• 3

  Shape the cakes

  You divide the dough into many equal small pieces (about 10 grams each), then flatten each piece of dough, place the sugar filling in the center, then seal it tightly, and roll it into a ball.

  Tip: You need to seal the dough tightly to prevent air from getting inside the cake; otherwise, it may crack or break when boiled. You can adjust the size of the cakes to suit your taste; however, don’t make them too large, as they can become overwhelming quickly.

  
• 4

  Cooking the cakes

  Prepare a large pot with about 1.5 liters of water and a bowl of cold water.

  Place the pot on the stove, bring the water to a boil over high heat, and once it boils vigorously, reduce to medium heat and drop the cakes in to cook.

  When the cakes float to the surface of the water, they are done. Let the cakes float for about 1 – 2 minutes in the pot; this helps the cake skin become soft and the filling has time to melt a little, making the cake taste better.

  Remove the cakes and drop them into the bowl of cold water to prevent them from sticking together.

  Tip: It is recommended to cook the cakes from light to dark colors so that they don’t mix. If making a lot, you should cook each color separately and change the water to prevent the colors and flavors from mixing.

  

  
• 5

  Final product

  Place the cakes on a plate and use your fingertip to lightly dip in water, then roll them in a bowl of toasted white sesame seeds to stick to the surface of the cakes. Doing it this way prevents the sesame from becoming messy as when sprinkled on top. The sticky rice cakes should be eaten on the same day after cooking; they will be soft and delicious, not dry.

  You can serve the cakes with syrup; they will taste sweeter and more appealing.