Green rice flake cakes (banh com)
Banh com are a famous Hanoi treat, with a tender, chewy, bright green shell made from young green rice flakes from Vong village, wrapped around a sweet, nutty mung bean and coconut filling. The aroma of fresh rice flakes mingled with pomelo blossom makes these cakes an essential gift at Vietnamese engagement ceremonies.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 40 min
- Rising or chilling
- 4 hr
- Total time
- 5 hr 40 min
- Method
- No cooking
Ingredients
Green rice flake shell
Mung bean and coconut filling
Wrapping
Instructions
Step 1
Soak 180 g rinsed split peeled mung beans in water for about two hours, then drain them very well in a colander. Soaked beans cook quickly and keep their bright yellow color after being cooked into a paste. They are ready when they are plump and feel soft when rubbed between your fingers.
Step 2
Steam the beans over high heat for about 25 minutes, then mash them with a pestle or blend them while still hot. Hot beans mash very smoothly, whereas once cool they turn lumpy. They are ready when they are as fine as powder with no pieces of bean left.
Step 3
Put the mashed beans in a pan with 140 g granulated sugar, 80 g freshly grated coconut and 20 g vegetable oil and stir constantly over low heat. The grated coconut adds a pleasant bite and rich aroma, while the long cooking makes the filling firm and pliable. The filling is ready when it gathers into a glossy mass and doesn't stick when you lift the spatula.
Step 4
Divide the filling into ten balls, roll them round, then press each one slightly flat into a small square. Pre-shaping the filling into squares helps the wrapped cakes keep four neat corners. Each piece is ready when its sides are flat and all are about the same size.
Step 5
Heat 160 g granulated sugar with 160 g water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then let it boil for about five minutes more. Syrup reduced just enough binds the rice flakes without making the shell too hard. It is ready when it is clear, slightly thickened and drips slowly from a spoon in short threads.
Step 6
Turn the heat down to low, stir 20 g tapioca starch into a little cold water and pour it into the syrup, then add 200 g young green rice flakes and 1 g pomelo blossom essence and stir constantly for about eight minutes. The cooked tapioca starch creates a thick, chewy texture that binds the rice flakes together. The shell mixture is ready when the flakes look more translucent and come together into a stretchy mass that pulls away from the bottom of the pan.
Step 7
Let the shell mixture cool slightly, oil your hands lightly, flatten a portion of it, place a piece of filling in the middle, then wrap it completely and mold it into a square. The shell must still be warm to stay pliable and easy to wrap; once cold, it hardens and cracks. The cakes are ready when the shell covers the filling completely, is evenly thick and has four square sides.
Step 8
Cut 100 g banana leaves into squares, wipe them clean, pass them briefly over a flame to soften, then wrap each cake. Banana leaves keep the shell moist and add a gentle fragrance. The cakes are ready when the leaves hug them snugly, the folds are neat and no shell peeks out.
Step 9
Arrange the wrapped cakes on a tray and let them rest for about two hours at room temperature before eating. The rest lets the shell settle and the flavors of the filling meld with the rice flakes. They are ready when the unwrapped shell is chewy and bright green and the cake holds its shape when cut in half.
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Nonstick skillet
- Steamer
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Kitchen scale
Tips
- If the rice flakes are dry, mist them lightly with water and let them sit for ten minutes to soften before adding them to the pan.
- Traditionally, pandan or galangal leaf water is used for a deeper green shell; you can replace some of the water with pandan juice.
- Wrapping the cakes in an extra layer of cellophane over the banana leaves keeps them from drying out longer and makes them look lovely as a gift.
Storage
Banh com are best within two days at room temperature, kept wrapped in their leaves. You can refrigerate them for up to five days, but steam them for about five minutes before eating so the shell turns soft and chewy again.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The shell is hard and the rice flakes don't stick together.
- The syrup was reduced for too long or there wasn't enough tapioca starch. Shorten the syrup cooking time and keep stirring the rice flakes until they turn clearly thick and stretchy.
- The shell is too soft and the cakes don't hold a square shape.
- The rice flakes were too wet or weren't stirred on the stove long enough. Keep stirring over low heat until the mixture pulls away completely from the pan before shaping.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
