Sticky Rice and Banana Cakes (Banh Tet Chuoi)

Method30 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Gather a ruler, one 12-inch temporary tying string, eight 5-foot lengths of cooking twine, aluminum foil, food-safe plastic wrap, a colander and a large stovetop pot. Have the cleaned banana leaves ready.

   Uses 2 lbs banana leaves (cleaned)

2. 2

   Step 2: Wash the glutinous rice several times with clean water, then cover it with warm soaking water and soak for 2 hours.

   Soak rice · 120 minUses 2 1/2 cups long-grain glutinous/sweet rice · Clean water as needed for washing rice and rinsing canned beans · Warm water to cover the rice for soaking

3. 3

   Step 3: Trim and peel the bananas. Coat them with the rum (1 Tbsp) and sprinkle 1/2 tbsp sugar on the first side. Turn them and sprinkle another 1/2 tbsp sugar on the other side. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours while the rice soaks.

   Marinate bananas · 120 minUses 8 ripe Thai bananas · 1 Tbsp rum · 1/2 tbsp sugar on the first side · 1/2 tbsp sugar on the second side

4. 4

   Step 4: Cut sixteen 8-by-8-inch banana-leaf squares for about eight cakes. Keep usable offcuts aside and discard damaged pieces; the leaves are wrappers.

   Uses 2 lbs banana leaves (cleaned)

5. 5

   Step 5: Rinse the canned black beans (3 Tbsp) with clean water and drain them well.

   Uses 3 Tbsp canned black beans · Clean water as needed for washing rice and rinsing canned beans

6. 6

   Step 6: After the soak, drain the rice, discard its soaking water, and rinse the rice several more times. Drain well.

   Uses Soaked rice from step 2 · Clean water as needed for washing rice and rinsing canned beans

7. 7

   Step 7: Put the drained rice into a large wok with all the coconut milk (1/3 cup), the remaining 1 tbsp sugar and the salt (1/4 tsp). Stir over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the rice becomes sticky and takes up the liquid. Turn off the heat, fold in the drained black beans from step 5, and keep the mixture covered while setting up for wrapping.

   Uses All drained rice from step 6 · 1/3 cup coconut milk · Remaining 1 tbsp sugar · 1/4 tsp salt · All drained black beans from step 5

8. 8

   Step 8: Set up a wrapping space beside the covered rice mixture, the marinated bananas and the leaf squares. Plan on about eight cakes, assembling only as many as the rice mixture and bananas allow.

   Uses Covered rice and black-bean mixture from step 7 · Marinated bananas from step 3 · Cut leaf squares from step 4

9. 9

   Step 9: Lay the temporary 12-inch string across the work surface. Place one leaf square over it, shiny side down and veins running horizontally. Add a second square, shiny side up with its veins running vertically.

   Uses Two cut leaf squares for this cake

10. 10

    Step 10: Spoon about 2/3 cup of the rice-and-bean mixture onto the leaves and spread it into a rectangle about 4 by 5 inches.

    Uses About 2/3 cup rice-and-bean mixture for one cake

11. 11

    Step 11: Lift one marinated banana from step 3 and place it in the center of the rice rectangle.

    Uses One marinated banana for this cake

12. 12

    Step 12: Lift the two long sides of the leaves and press the rice around the banana. Bring the leaf edges together and roll down snugly to enclose the filling.

    Uses The banana, rice and wrappers being assembled

13. 13

    Step 13: Fold the excess leaf ends inward so the filling stays enclosed.

    Uses Rolled cake from step 12

14. 14

    Step 14: Secure the middle loosely with the temporary string while sealing the ends.

    Uses Folded cake from step 13

15. 15

    Step 15: Stand the cake on one end. Trim excessive leaf length if necessary, fold the open end over the filling, and pat it down firmly.

    Uses Temporarily tied cake from step 14

16. 16

    Step 16: Turn the cake over and seal the second end in the same way.

    Uses Cake with its first end sealed from step 15

17. 17

    Step 17: Use one 5-foot length of cooking twine to tie the cake securely lengthwise and around its body. Remove the temporary string.

    Uses Cake with both ends sealed from step 16

18. 18

    Step 18: Adjust the tied cake into a compact, even log.

    Uses Tied cake from step 17

19. 19

    Step 19: Repeat steps 9–18 with the remaining leaf squares, rice mixture and bananas, keeping the same per-cake guides. Stop if a filling supply runs out. Refrigerate any unused prepared rice or bananas promptly rather than forcing them into larger cakes.

    Uses First assembled cake from step 18 · Remaining rice-and-bean mixture · Remaining marinated bananas · Remaining cut leaf squares

20. 20

    Step 20: Wrap each assembled, leaf-covered cake in aluminum foil for cooking.

    Uses All assembled cakes from step 19

21. 21

    Step 21: Arrange the foil-wrapped cakes in a large stovetop pot and add enough water to cover them. Use a pot large enough for the cakes and cooking water; if cooking separate batches, repeat the full cooking stage for each batch.

    Uses Foil-wrapped cakes for the current pot batch · Water to cover the wrapped cakes in a large stovetop pot, plus boiling water for top-ups

22. 22

    Step 22: Bring the water to a boil, then maintain a gentle boil for 2 hours. Start timing once the water is boiling. Check the water level occasionally and top up with boiling water so the cakes stay covered.

    Gently boil wrapped cakes · 120 minUses Cakes and cooking water from step 21 · Additional boiling water as needed to keep cakes covered

23. 23

    Step 23: After the cooking guide, check that the cakes are cooked through and the rice is tender. Continue the gentle boil if needed, maintaining the water level. Turn off the heat when the cakes are ready and set a colander nearby.

    Uses Cakes and cooking water from step 22 · Boiling-water top-up only if continued cooking is needed

24. 24

    Step 24: Lift the cakes into the colander with tongs and drain. Remove the foil, rinse the outside of each leaf wrapper with clean water, and pat dry. Wrap the leaf-covered cakes in food-safe plastic wrap for cooling.

    Uses Cooked cakes lifted from step 23 · Clean water as needed to rinse the outsides of the cooked leaf-wrapped cakes

25. 25

    Step 25: Let the cakes cool briefly, then refrigerate promptly to finish setting for at least 2 hours before cutting. Keep the total time outside refrigeration under 2 hours; do not leave them at room temperature for the whole setting wait.

    Chill cakes before slicing · 120 minUses Wrapped cooked cakes from step 24

26. 26

    Step 26: Choose one cutting method for each cooled cake: remove the leaves first and slice with string in step 27, or slice with the leaves still on in step 28. Use only one method for that cake.

    Uses Chilled cakes from step 25

27. 27

    Step 27: For the first cutting method, remove the plastic wrap, twine and banana leaves. Slide a piece of clean string under the cake, cross its ends over the top, and pull to cut a round. Repeat for the remaining rounds, then skip step 28 for this cake.

    Uses Cake selected for string slicing

28. 28

    Step 28: Alternatively, remove the plastic wrap and twine but keep the banana leaves on while cutting rounds with a knife. Remove the leaves from each round before eating. Skip this method for cakes already sliced in step 27.

    Uses Cake selected for wrapped slicing

29. 29

    Step 29: Serve the sliced banana sticky-rice cakes as a sweet snack or dessert. Remove every remaining piece of leaf, twine or plastic wrap before eating.

    Uses Cake rounds from step 27 if that method was chosen · Cake rounds from step 28 if that method was chosen

30. 30

    Step 30: Refrigerate leftovers promptly in covered containers and use within 3–4 days. The author also offers freezing whole wrapped cakes for up to 6 months; thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat cooked leftovers until hot throughout, reaching 74 °C (165 °F).

    Uses Remaining whole chilled cakes if storing them whole · Remaining sliced cakes if storing cut portions