Husband and wife cakes (banh phu the)
Banh phu the, also called banh xu xe, is a cake that symbolizes the bond between husband and wife at weddings in northern Vietnam. A crystal-clear, soft and chewy shell sparkling with shreds of coconut wraps around a mung bean filling scented with pomelo blossom, all tucked neatly into a pretty little leaf box.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 1 hr
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rising or chilling
- 2 hr 30 min
- Total time
- 4 hr
- Method
- Steamed
Ingredients
Shell
Mung bean filling
Leaf boxes
Instructions
Step 1
Rinse 150 g split peeled mung beans well and soak them in warm water for about two hours. Warm water helps the beans absorb water faster and more evenly than cold water. The beans are ready when they are soft and split apart at a light touch.
Step 2
Steam the drained beans for about 25 minutes until crumbly and tender, then mash them smooth right away while still hot. Mashing them hot makes the filling smooth and free of gritty bits as it cooks down. The beans are ready when they are an even pale yellow and as smooth as mashed potatoes.
Step 3
Cook the beans down with 70 g granulated sugar, 10 g vegetable oil and 40 g freshly grated coconut over low heat, adding 1 g pomelo blossom essence near the end. Let it cool and roll it into twelve balls. The filling must be fairly dry so it does not thin out the shell during steaming. It is ready when the balls roll smooth and do not slump flat on the plate.
Step 4
Cut 150 g banana leaves into strips, fold them into twelve small square boxes, pin the corners in place and brush the insides with vegetable oil (to taste). Sturdy boxes give the cakes an even square shape, and the oil lets the shell peel away without sticking to the leaf. The boxes are ready when they stand steadily on the table with no gaps at the corners.
Step 5
Stir 250 g tapioca starch with 150 g granulated sugar and 230 g water until fully dissolved, add 1 g yellow food coloring if you like, then mix in 60 g freshly grated coconut. Tapioca starch settles very quickly, so stir well before each scoop. The mixture is ready when it is an even color with no starch settled at the bottom of the bowl.
Step 6
Pour the shell mixture into a saucepan and stir constantly over low heat until it has thickened about halfway, then take it off the heat. Partly cooking it keeps the coconut shreds suspended in the shell instead of sinking to the bottom of the box. It is ready when it is as thick as thin paste, partly translucent but still streaked with opaque white.
Step 7
Spoon a thin layer of shell mixture into the bottom of each leaf box, set a ball of filling in the center, then cover it with more shell mixture until the filling is hidden and the box is nearly full. The bottom layer keeps the filling centered so it does not show when unwrapped. The boxes are ready when the filling is fully covered, the surface is level and nothing spills over the leaf.
Step 8
Arrange the boxes in the steamer once the water is at a rolling boil and steam for about 20 minutes, with a towel wrapped under the lid so condensation does not drip down. Dripping condensation makes the tops pitted and mushy. The cakes are done when the shell is completely clear, the yellow filling shows clearly inside and no white spots remain.
Step 9
Take the cakes out and let them cool for about 30 minutes, then cover them with leaf lids or wrap them in pairs. Hot cakes are very soft and sticky; only once cooled does the shell turn chewy and come away from the leaf easily. They are ready when the shell is clear and glossy and springs back when pressed lightly.
Equipment
- Steamer
- Small saucepan
- Nonstick skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Sieve
- Kitchen scale
Tips
- The traditional yellow color comes from gardenia fruit soaked in water; you can use gardenia water instead of food coloring.
- Choose coconut that is neither too young nor too mature and grate it into long shreds, so they show clearly and add a pleasant bite to the clear shell.
- If you do not have banana leaves, you can use small paper cases or oiled square silicone molds.
Storage
Banh phu the are best on the day they are made and keep for up to two days at room temperature if tightly covered. Do not refrigerate them, as the tapioca shell turns hard and cloudy; if they have been chilled, steam them again for about five minutes.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The shell still has opaque white spots after steaming.
- The cakes were not steamed long enough or the water was not at a strong boil when they went in. Steam them five minutes longer and always wait for a rolling boil before adding the cakes.
- The coconut shreds and filling all sink to the bottom.
- The shell mixture was not partly cooked, so it was still too thin. Stir it on the stove until it has clearly thickened before spooning it into the boxes.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
