How to make sweet, soft, and delicious Tet cake with green bean filling soaked in lye water

How to Make Bánh Tét with Green Bean Filling

• 1

  Soaking Beans and Sticky Rice

  First, wash the green beans and sticky rice about 3 – 4 times until clean. Then, soak the green beans in water overnight to soften.

  For the sticky rice, drain the water, then mix with 300ml of lye water and soak for about 4 hours.

  After 3 hours, add more water so that the sticky rice is submerged, and continue soaking the sticky rice overnight to soften.

  

  
• 2

  Stir-frying Sticky Rice with Coconut Milk

  After soaking the sticky rice, drain the water and wash the sticky rice thoroughly several times with fresh water.

  Note:

  • You should wash the sticky rice several times to remove all the lye water; if not cleaned properly, the final product will have a bitter taste.
  • You can check if the sticky rice is clean by tasting a grain; if there’s no bitter taste, it’s good.

  Place a pan on the stove, add 140ml of fresh coconut water, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and 100g of brown sugar, then bring to a boil.

  When the mixture boils, add the sticky rice and stir continuously over medium heat until the liquid evaporates, then turn off the heat.

  

  
• 3

  Sauté green bean filling

  Drain the soaking water from the beans, then add the green beans to the pot and add just enough water to cover the beans. Next, cook the green beans over medium heat until boiling and the water is nearly gone.

  Then, reduce the heat to low and use a spoon to continuously stir until the green beans are soft and dry.

  Place a pan on the stove, add 400ml of coconut milk, 1/2 tablespoon of salt, and 550g of brown sugar. Stir well to combine the mixture.

  Next, add the beans to the pan, stir evenly over medium heat until the water evaporates, the pan is dry, and the green beans are soft and sticky.

  

  
• 4

  Wrapping the Tro Water Sticky Rice Cake

  First, divide the mung bean filling into 10 parts and shape them into long cylinders. For the sticky rice, you will measure 1 small bowl for 1 cake.

  Stack 3 pieces of clean banana leaves on top of each other, spread the sticky rice evenly, and then place the mung bean filling on top.

  Next, fold the two edges of the leaves over so that the sticky rice is enclosed in the middle. Then, wrap the leaves tightly and use string to secure the middle to hold the cake in place.

  At each end of the cake, fold the edges of the leaves in. After that, place 2 small pieces of banana leaves on top in a cross to completely cover the ends of the cake. Next, use string to secure it again.

  Finally, use string to tie up the remaining parts on the body of the cake to complete it.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Boiling the Sticky Rice Cake

  Place the cakes in a pot and fill with water to cover the surface, then cover tightly and boil for about 3 hours over medium heat.

  Tips for boiling sticky rice cakes to be soft and last longer:

  • During the boiling process, remember to occasionally add more water! Because when boiling, if the cake is not fully submerged in water, it can easily become hard.
  • It is advisable to flip the cake upside down after a few hours of boiling for more even cooking.

  

  
• 6

  Final Product

  The sticky rice cake with green bean filling has a soft and chewy rice layer with a light sweetness, while the filling is made of smooth green beans, with a rich and creamy texture from coconut milk, making it extremely delicious.