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Bánh ít lá gai
Ramie leaf sticky rice cakes
Bánh ít lá gai: black ramie-leaf sticky rice pyramids with mung bean and coconut filling
Bình Định and Quảng Ngãi families steam trays of these near-black pyramids for weddings, death anniversaries and the Tết altar, and visitors leave with a string of them as a gift. The colour comes from ramie leaves (lá gai), boiled and pounded into glutinous rice flour with sugar; the dough is chewy and faintly grassy, around a sweet filling of mung bean and grated coconut. Outside Vietnam, look for dried ramie leaf powder or frozen ramie paste in Vietnamese grocers. Chef's tip: oil the banana leaves well and do not under-steam; the dough looks set long before the centre is cooked, and a pale grey core means it needs another 10 minutes.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz split peeled mung beanssoaked for 2 hours
- 2 ⅞ oz grated coconutfresh or frozen, thawed
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
For the dough
- ⅞ oz ramie leaf powderor 150 g frozen ramie leaf paste
- 1 cup hot water
- 12 ½ oz glutinous rice flour
- 4 oz sugar
- 3 tbsp neutral oilfor the dough and leaves
To wrap
- 12 pieces banana leavescut into 20 cm squares, wiped and briefly warmed
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Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Steam the drained 5 ½ oz split peeled mung beans over a high heat until they crush easily between your fingers.
25 minStep 2: Mash the hot beans and cook them in a non-stick pan with 2 ⅞ oz grated coconut, 2 ⅞ oz sugar and ¼ tsp salt over a low heat, stirring, until the mixture is dry enough to roll. Cool, then roll into 12 balls.
12 minStep 3: Stir ⅞ oz ramie leaf powder into 1 cup hot water and leave for 10 minutes so it blooms into a dark, thick paste.
10 minStep 4: Mix 12 ½ oz glutinous rice flour and 4 oz sugar in a bowl, add the ramie paste and knead for 5–8 minutes into a smooth, very dark dough that feels like soft clay. Add water a teaspoon at a time if it cracks, more flour if it sticks.
8 minStep 5: Knead in 1 tbsp of 1 tbsp neutral oil until glossy, then divide into 12 pieces.
3 minStep 6: Brush the shiny side of each 12 pieces banana leaves square with the rest of 2 tbsp neutral oil.
3 minStep 7: Flatten a piece of dough into a 9 cm round in an oiled palm, set a filling ball in the centre and pinch the dough up and around it to seal with no gaps. Roll smooth.
20 minStep 8: Roll a leaf into a cone, drop in a dough ball and fold the open top down over itself to make a pyramid, tucking the flaps underneath. Repeat with the rest.
20 minStep 9: Steam the pyramids, flap side down and not touching, over boiling water on a medium-high heat for 40–45 minutes. Open one: the dough should be glossy and translucent black all the way to the filling.
45 minStep 10: Cool for 15 minutes before unwrapping. They keep, wrapped, for 2 days at room temperature or 4 days in the fridge; re-steam for 5 minutes to soften.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 255 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bánh ít lá gai take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 60 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 sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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