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Bánh da lợn
Bánh da lợn: chewy steamed layer cake in pandan green and mung bean gold (plus 3 hours cooling)
Bánh da lợn is piled up in glistening slabs at the dessert stalls of Bến Thành Market and on the trays of Saigon's afternoon sweet sellers. Thin layers of tapioca and coconut batter are steamed one at a time, alternating fragrant pandan green with nutty mung bean yellow, so every slice shows neat stripes and has a soft, bouncy, slightly springy bite. People peel the layers off one by one, especially children. Chef's tip: let each layer set until it turns translucent before pouring the next, or the colours run into each other.
- Total time
- 100 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
- 3 ½ oz split peeled mung beanssoaked for 2 hours
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 8 oz sugar
- 10 ½ oz tapioca starch
- 1 ¾ oz rice flour
- 1 ¾ cups coconut milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 10 pandan leavesor 1 tsp pandan extract
- 1 tsp vegetable oilfor the tin
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Drain 3 ½ oz split peeled mung beans and steam for 20 minutes, until very soft. Blend with ½ cup water to a smooth paste.
22 minStep 2: Warm ¾ cup water with 8 oz sugar, stirring until dissolved. Let it cool.
5 minStep 3: Whisk 10 ½ oz tapioca starch, 1 ¾ oz rice flour, 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, ¼ tsp salt and the sugar syrup to a smooth, thin batter. Divide it equally between two bowls.
5 minStep 4: Blend 10 pandan leaves with the remaining water and strain the green juice into one bowl. Whisk the mung bean paste into the other.
5 minStep 5: Brush a 20 cm round cake tin with 1 tsp vegetable oil and heat it in a steamer over boiling water for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 6: Stir the green batter, pour about 120 ml into the tin and steam, covered, for 5–6 minutes, until it turns translucent and sets. Add the same amount of yellow batter and steam again. Common mistake: pouring the next layer before the last has set, which blurs the stripes.
40 minStep 7: Keep alternating, stirring each batter before you pour, as the starch settles. Steam the last layer for 10 minutes. Wrap the steamer lid in a cloth so drips don't spot the cake.
10 minStep 8: Cool completely, at least 3 hours, before cutting with an oiled knife. Keep covered at room temperature and eat within 2 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bánh da lợn take?
- About 100 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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