You need this for Lunar New Year or fail as an adult

By Vicky Pham · 600 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Rub the pork belly generously with about 1 tablespoon coarse salt to draw out impurities, rinse well under running water, then pat dry with paper towels.
2. Season the pork belly with the salt, sugar, fish sauce, black pepper, minced scallion or shallot whites and chicken bouillon powder.
3. Rinse the sweet rice in a colander until the water runs clear, then cover with water by 2 inches in a bowl and soak overnight at room temperature.
4. Soak the dried mung beans the same way, then drain both separately and season each with its own salt amount.
5. Thaw the banana leaves if frozen, cut 12 sheets measuring 11 by 11 inches, rinse each with hot water and dry with paper towels.
6. Lay two leaves with veins running horizontally and place a third with veins running vertically on top, shiny side up if you can tell.
7. Add 1/2 cup rice, 1/4 cup mung beans and the pork belly, then top with 1/4 cup mung beans and 1/2 cup rice.
8. Lift the leaves and wrap everything into a log, using temporary ties or rubber bands in the middle if needed.
9. Stand the log upright by bending the leaves at one end, add about 2 tablespoons more rice to fill the end, then fold the leaves down neatly in four folds. Repeat on the other end.
10. Tie with two vertical strings and three evenly spaced horizontal ties across the middle, or more if you prefer; multiple strings with simple knots are fine if tying is tricky.
11. Boil in a large covered 8-quart stock pot on medium-low simmer for about 7 hours, keeping the cakes fully submerged (weigh them down with a large ceramic bowl or plate if needed) and topping up the water as it drops.
12. Alternatively, put the cakes in the inner pot of an 8-quart pressure cooker, fill with water to the maximum line, cook on high pressure for 2 hours 30 minutes, then let it release naturally for about 30 minutes.
13. Lift the cakes out carefully, dry with paper towels and let them cool to room temperature.
14. Remove the leaves and slice the cakes into 2-inch coins. Eat at room temperature or pan-fry in a little oil until golden and crisp. Refrigerate up to one week or freeze up to 8 months.

Summarized from Vicky Pham's video. Watch it for the details.

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ScallionRiceBananaPork bellyMung bean