Sticky Rice Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
• Mix rice flour, canola oil, milk, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Drop small spoonfuls of the red bean paste into the flour mixture about 1 to 2 inches apart, making sure that the red bean paste is covered by the flour mixture. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Steps:

• The night before, soak the rice and bamboo leaves. Put the rice in a large bowl and add water to cover by 2 inches. Place the bamboo leaves in a large roasting pan and add water to cover. Put a plate on top of the leaves to keep them submerged.
• The next morning, drain the rice in a colander and then return it to the bowl. (It will have swollen to more than 8 cups.) Gradually mix in the salt, sprinkling it over the rice and using your hands to distribute it well.
• Cut the pork into pieces the size of a deck of cards, about 3 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1/2 inch thick. If you are using pork leg, each piece should have some fat and skin. Add the fish sauce, pepper, and pork to a bowl and mix well. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, drain the bamboo leaves. Follow these directions, which will make sense when you assemble the cakes: Take each leaf and fold it lengthwise along the spine (dull side out) and then in half crosswise. Measuring from the center fold, use scissors to cut the leaf to measure 4 3/4 inches; unfolded, the trimmed leaf is 9 1/2 inches long. Use a ruler or one of the inner edges of the wooden mold (which is 5 inches long) as your guide. Rinse the trimmed leaves and set aside with the banana leaves.
• To cook the pork, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the meat in a single layer and all the marinade. Cook, turning once, for about 2 minutes on each side, or until the pork is just cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Divide it into 4 equal portions and set aside.
• Fill a 12-quart stockpot half full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and cover to keep hot.
• To make each cake, put a 12-by-18-inch piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil on your work surface, with a short side closest to you. Place the mold on the center of the foil. You will need 4 bamboo leaves to form the frame-corners and edges-for the cake. Working on one corner at a time, fold a bamboo leaf lengthwise (dull side out) along the spine and then in half crosswise. Crease the center fold. To form a 90-degree corner, simply unwrap the leaf and bring the lower center crease up to meet the spine. The leaf now looks like an upright corner of a paper box. Place the folded bamboo leaf into one of the corners of the mold, with the ends pointing toward (or touching) two of the walls. Repeat with the remaining 3 bamboo leaves, going in one direction around the mold and overlapping the leaves as you go. When you are done, the leaves will look like a picture frame. Push the leaves down into the corners to make sure they are snug and flush. Straighten any slouching leaf.
• Next, line the mold with banana leaf. Place a piece of banana leaf so that one of its short sides is flush with the inner wall of the mold that is closest to you; the banana leaf should cover the bottom and extend above the mold on the far wall. Place a second piece of leaf in the reverse direction. The 2 pieces will overlap each other on the bottom. Equal lengths of leaf should extend above the mold on the far and near walls. Then arrange a third piece of leaf, with a long side closest to you, evenly across the bottom of the mold, so that short lengths of leaf extend above the right and left walls. All 4 walls of the mold are now lined. Use your fingers to tuck the leaves into the mold.
• To add the edible ingredients, first scoop up 1 cup of the rice and pour it into the mold. Use your fingers to push some rice toward the outer edges. Add 1/2 cup lightly packed mung bean, pouring it into the center. Center a portion of pork on top. (If you are using pork leg, position the fat and skin in the center, so that at serving time, everyone gets an equal amount. You may need to tear or cut some of the fat from the meat to create an equal distribution.) Top with another 1/2 cup lightly packed mung bean. Finish with 1 cup rice. The mold will look very full. Push some of the rice to the sides and corners.
• Cover the top of the cake by folding in the side flaps of banana leaf, then fold the side farthest from you down, and finally fold over the side nearest you. Press down firmly on the cake with your hand to distribute and compact the ingredients. Once the top is relatively flat, put one hand on top of the cake to hold it in place while you gently pull off the mold with the other hand. Temporarily keep the mold on your lower arm while you fold the top flap of foil down, and then fold the bottom flap up and over. This should keep the cake in place enough for you to remove the mold from your arm. Then, as if wrapping a gift , fold in the sides to form a foiled-covered square box. Pick up the cake and gently tap the sides against your work surface to make sure the elements are set. Put the cake aside. Repeat to make the remaining 3 cakes. Save or discard left over rice.
• Tie each cake together with kitchen string. Since the rice expands during cooking, don't tie too tightly. Th e string should not make an impression in the foil. (See illustration, page 264.)
• Return the stockpot of water to a boil. Add the cakes, stacking and/or standing them up. To keep the cakes from floating, place an empty saucepan on top to weight them down gently. Return the water to a boil and cook, uncovered, for 7 hours. To maintain the boil, keep a kettle of boiled water on the stove to replenish the water as needed; it is okay if the water occasionally simmers. As the cakes cook, they will expand and gain weight. Every 2 hours, rotate the cakes so they will cook evenly. When the cakes no longer float, about midway through the full cooking time, remove the saucepan and continue boiling.
• Use tongs to transfer the cooked cakes to a baking sheet, placing the best-looking square side down. Put another baking sheet on top and center a 14- or 15-ounce food can on each cake to weight it down. (Eager people let the cakes cool for only 1 to 2 hours before unwrapping and eating.)
• The next morning, remove the foil, wipe off stray bits of rice, and then wrap each cake in plastic wrap. For display purposes, you may tie colorful ribbon (red symbolizes good luck) around each cake. The cakes may be kept at room temperature for 3 days, beyond which they should be stored in the refrigerator, where they will last for a week. They may also be frozen for up to 3 months (see Note for information on how to refresh frozen cakes).
• There are two ways to enjoy bánh chung: soft , which allows you to appreciate fully the pale green color and ethereal flavor of the banana leaf, or fried into a delicious crispy pancake. Regardless of which method you use, serve the cake with sugar for lightly dipping the pieces. It sounds odd but is quite nice.
• To cut and serve a cake soft: Cut the cake into 8 equal triangular wedges (think of an asterisk). Because it is hard to cut through the sticky rice with a knife, Vietnamese cooks use a type of fibrous string. I substitute unflavored dental floss or linen kitchen string. (If the cake is firm from refrigeration, unwrap and cut with a knife. Reheat the pieces in a microwave oven until soft before serving.) To cut with floss or twine: Undo the plastic wrap, keeping it spread out underneath the cake. Remove and discard the bamboo leaves. Return the cake to the plastic wrap, open side up (as it was when you were assembling the cake). Peel off the top and side flaps of banana leaf, leaving them on the plastic wrap. Cut 4 lengths of floss or string each about 20 inches long and arrange them on the cake in the pattern of an 8-spoked asterisk: position 2 strands on the diagonals, 1 strand horizontally across the middle, and 1 strand vertically down the middle. One at a time, grab the ends of each strand and pull the strand down about 1/4 inch into the cake to secure it in place. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. (Use the plastic wrap to pick up the cake.) Peel off the plastic wrap and banana leaves. One at a time, grab each strand by its ends and pull it up through the cake toward the center, crossing in the middle and lifting it out of the cake. (You may have to pause midway to pull on other strands as you make the cuts.) When all the strands are removed, the cake will be cut into perfect wedges.
• To fry and serve a cake: Nicely cut wedges are not necessary if you are frying the cake. Use a knife to quarter the cake and then cut each quarter into 1/2-inch-thick slices. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add half of the slices and fry, undisturbed, for about 6 minutes, or until the rice has softened. Use a spatula to press and mash the chunks to form a pancake and continue to fry for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the underside is crispy and golden. Flip the pancake with a quick and confident jerk of the skillet handle (or slide the pancake onto a plate and then invert it into the skillet). Increase the heat to medium-high and fry the second side for about 4 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Slide the pancake onto a plate, cut into wedges, and serve. Repeat with the remaining slices to make a second pancake.
• The wooden mold for these cakes is not commercially produced because people typically make the molds themselves. If you are not good at woodworking, do as I did and ask someone for help. The mold should have a 5-inch-square opening and stand 1 1/2 inches high. (For my mold, I bought a 30-inch-long piece of 3/4-inch-thick unfinished oak from a spare wood bin at a lumberyard.) My friend Mike Crane cut the wood into 4 pieces, 2 pieces that were 5 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide and 2 pieces that were 6 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Although nails would have held the pieces together, he used screws, drilling 2 holes at the end of each of the longer pieces. When he screwed the pieces together, he added a little glue for extra security. To finish the mold, he lightly sanded the edges.
• To refresh a thawed bánh chung, bring it to room temperature. Rewrap it in foil and tie it with cotton string as you originally did. Boil the cake in a large pot of water for 1 hour, adding water as needed to keep the cake submerged. Remove the cake and let cool for 1 to 2 hours before eating.

Steps:

• In a bowl, stir together the 2 rice flours and the salt. Make a well in the center, pour in the water, and stir with a spatula until a clumpy dough forms. Then, use your hand to knead the dough into a rough mass. Turn out the dough and all the unincorporated bits onto a work surface and knead with both hands into a soft , smooth ball that feels like modeling clay. If necessary, add water by the teaspoon or a bit of rice flour (either kind is fine) to achieve the correct consistency. To test if the dough is ready, pinch it; it should barely stick to your fingers. Shape the dough into a log and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Set aside for a moment.
• Fill the steamer pan halfway with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Lower the heat until you are ready to steam.
• Have ready a shallow bowl of water for moistening your hands. Spread out the banana leaf circles on the work surface, and very lightly brush the top of each circle with oil (this prevents the cakes from sticking to the leaf). To form each cake, lightly moisten your hands and roll a piece of dough between your palms into a smooth ball. Center the ball atop a banana leaf circle. Repeat with the remaining dough, remoistening your hands as needed. Finish by moistening the heel of your hand and gently flattening each ball of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick disk. Place the cakes in steamer trays, spacing them 1 inch apart and keeping them 1 inch away from the edge where condensation will collect.
• Return the water in the steamer pan to a rolling boil. Loosely cover 1 tray with parchment or waxed paper to prevent drying. Place the other tray in the steamer, cover, and steam the cakes for 6 minutes, or until they have expanded and no longer look chalky. Turn off the heat and wait for the steam to subside before lifting the lid, and then lift it away from you carefully to avoid condensation dripping onto the cakes. Remove the tray and use a metal spatula to transfer the cakes, still on the banana leaf, to a wire rack. Steam the second tray the same way. Let the cakes cool for about 1 hour, or until they are at room temperature. A shiny skin forms on top to make them easier to handle.
• Arrange the cakes, still on the banana leaf, on 1 or more platters and place on the table with the sausages. To eat, peel off the banana leaf from the bottom of a cake. Lay 1 or 2 sausage slices on the bottom, or stickier side, of the cake. Remove the banana leaf from another cake and place it, shiny side up, on top to create a sandwich.
• These cakes taste best the day you prepare them. If you have to store them, keep the cakes in pairs. Invert one on top of another, with a piece of banana leaf between the top sides to prevent them from sticking. Put the cakes in an airtight container and refrigerate. Refresh the cakes in the steamer or microwave oven until hot, letting them cool before eating.
• This sticky rice dough can be used to encase a savory filling of shrimp, pork, and mushroom for steamed dumplings called bánh ít tôm thit, a traditional breakfast treat that is also great for brunch, lunch, or a snack. Make a batch of the filling used for steamed rice crepe rolls (page 270). Then prepare 1 1/2 recipes of the sticky rice dough, shaping the finished dough into a log and cutting it into 12 equal pieces.
• To form the dumplings, have ready a shallow bowl of water for moistening your hands. Spread out 12 banana leaf circles (each 3 1/2 inches in diameter) on your work surface, and very lightly brush the top of each circle with oil (this prevents the dumplings from sticking to the leaf). Lightly moisten your hands, pick up a piece of dough, and roll it into a ball. Holding it with one hand, use the fingers of your other hand to press the dough gently from the center toward the rim to create a 3-inch circle slightly thinner at the center than at the rim. As you press, rotate the dough to make an even circle. (It is like shaping a tiny pizza.)
• Gently cup one hand and put the dough circle in that hand, placing it toward the fingertips, which will cradle the dumpling as you shape it. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center of the circle. Lightly press on the filling with the back of the spoon to create a shallow well; your hand will naturally cup a little tighter as you do this. Now, use your free hand to push and pinch the dough together to enclose the filling completely. You will end up with a ball about 2 inches in diameter. Pass the ball between your hands a few times to smooth the surface, and then center it on a banana leaf circle. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Place the dumplings in steamer trays, spacing them 1 inch apart and 1 inch away from the edge where condensation will collect.
• Steam the dumplings, one tray at a time, for 15 minutes, or until they have expanded and no longer look chalky. Turn off the heat and wait for the steam to subside before lifting the lid, and then lift it away from you carefully to avoid condensation dripping onto the dumplings. Remove the tray and use a metal spatula to transfer the dumplings, still on the banana leaf, to a wire rack or serving plate. Let them firm and cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Diners can use chopsticks or forks to lift them from the banana leaf (they come off easily). They are good as they are, but they are even better dipped into a mixture of soy sauce and black pepper.