Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (2024)

January 30, 2019Van

Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (1)

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Prep time: 24 hours

Cook time: 2 hours

Serves: 4 Bánh Tết

Tết (Lunar New Year) is coming up and my kids look forward to eating bánh tét every year. Bánh Tét, which is mostly eaten in central and southern Vietnam, is a cylindrical sticky rice cake filled with mung bean, pork belly and wrapped in banana leaves. I grew up eating this my whole life, but only tried making them recently thanks to RunAwayRice’s recipe (link here). This is a recipe that seems daunting, but watch her tutorial videos – she breaks down the steps and organizes the recipe so it’s very easy to make at home.

Bánh Tét origin folk story:

As an elderly king approached his death, he summoned his three sons to his deathbed. It was time to choose a successor to the throne. The king told his three boys that whoever could provide the most delicious meal for him would be king. The sons immediately went to their wives to plan this grand feast for their father.

The eldest son spared no expense and hired the most celebrated chefs in the land.
The middle son had his wife prepare a personalized meal complete with the kings favorite flavors.

The youngest son presented a simple meal to the king—a plate of bánh tét.

The king became angry seeing this simple meal in light of the other grandiose plates his other boys had prepared for him. He demanded an explanation.
The youngest prince and his wife begged for the kings forgiveness; explaining that bánh tét was all they could afford. An explanation soon followed by the princess to calm the kings anger.
“Instead of presenting you with a tasty but meaningless meal sir, I decided to fill your plate with meaning—a dish that best symbolizes the beauty of our land, Vietnam.”

The king was perplexed, but listened acutely as the princess continued
“The rice represents the staple of all Vietnamese meals—these simple grains give our people energy to work. The green wrapper represents the beauty of our famed rice paddies that populate our countryside. The mung bean symbolizes the sun that gives us life. And finally, the pork belly is symbolic of the great people in the three regions of your kingdom. All of this tied together by string—symbolizing the king who holds this promised land together.”

The king was speechless, deeply impressed by the princess’ thoughtful interpretation. He thought about her story as he ate the bánh tét. As he made his final decision, it was the youngest prince who would make the throne.
“A kingdoms power isn’t measured in gold and treasure, but the prosperity of it’s people. Thank you for showing me this princess.”

And the rest is history

Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (2)

Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (3)

My favorite way to eat bánh tét, sliced then pan fried until they are crispyInstant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (4)

Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (5)

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Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (6)

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Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (7)

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Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe - Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake

January 30, 2019Van

  • Prep time: 24 hours
  • Cook time: 2 hours
  • Serves: 4 Bánh Tết

www.foodisafourletterword.com

Ingredients

  • ¾ Pound Pork Belly, cut into four 1 inch x 4 inch strips
  • ½ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ Teaspoon Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Chopped Shallots
  • 2 ½ Teaspoons Salt, divided
  • ½ Tablespoon Fish Sauce
  • 3 Cups Mashed Mung Beans
  • 12 Frozen Banana Leaves, cut into 11 inch x 11 inch squares
  • 6 Cups Long Grain Sweet/Sticky Rice
  • 4 Cooking Twine / Butcher's String, 16-inches long
  • 4 Cooking Twine / Butcher's String, 9-feet long

Method

  • 1)

    Reference RunAwayRice’s Original Recipe and watch her two tutorial videos below:

    Recipe: http://runawayrice.com/main-dishes/sticky-rice-mung-bean-cakes-banh-tet/

  • 2)

    Instant Pot Cooking Instructions:

    If you have an 8Qt, it’s possible to cook all 4 Bánh Tét at once, if you have a 6Qt, you might have to cook them in two batches. Lay them horizontally into the pot to get them to fit.

    Wrap Bánh Tét with foil, then cook for 2 Hours High Pressure and let it do a full natural pressure release (this will take 1+ hours). Be sure to completely submerge them in the water, I had to fill above the max line to cover them.

    Refrigerate overnight before cutting and pan frying. Enjoy!

↓ Supplies to make this recipe ↓

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Instant Pot Bánh Tét Recipe – Vietnamese Lunar New Year Sticky Rice Cake – FOOD is Four Letter Word (17)

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FAQs

What is the difference between Banh Tet and banh chung? ›

In the Central region during Tet, Banh Chung and Banh Tet are both wrapped and enjoyed by the people. Banh Chung in the Central region is usually smaller than its Northern counterpart, and notably, it has less filling. Banh Tet, on the other hand, is wrapped similarly to the Southern style.

What is Banh Tet in English? ›

Banh Tet (round glutinous rice cake) is a traditional cake enjoyed by southern Vietnamese people on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

How long does banh tet last in the fridge? ›

Storage and Reheating

These wrapped cakes can be stored in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 8 months. To reheat Bánh Tét, place slices on a microwave-safe plate and heat in a microwave in 30-second intervals until warmed through.

What is the name of the traditional cake that is made from glutinous rice and filled with mung bean paste and pork during the lunar new year in Vietnam? ›

Bánh tét is a Vietnamese savoury but sometimes sweetened cake made primarily from glutinous rice, which is rolled in a banana leaf into a thick, log-like cylindrical shape, with a mung bean and pork filling, then boiled.

What is the closest bread to banh mi? ›

These are the ingredients you'll need to make this bánh mì recipe: Bread: Don't overthink this as one community member says. Look for light, lofty bread. A French-style baguette works but so does a Mexican bolillo or hoagie-style roll.

What does bánh chưng mean in Vietnamese? ›

Banh Chung and Banh Tet are two indispensable cakes in traditional Vietnamese Tet. Banh Chung is square, symbolizing the earth, with an outer layer made from green phrynium or banana leaves, and inside is filled with green beans, fatty meat, spices and fragrant sticky rice.

What does Tet mean in Vietnamese food? ›

At Tet, a diverse array of dishes – from sticky rice cakes and spring rolls to boiled chicken – graces family food trays everywhere, symbolizing prosperity, luck, and familial unity.

What is bread called in Vietnamese? ›

Taken alone, bánh mì means any kind of bread, but it could refer to the Vietnamese baguette or the sandwich made from it. To distinguish the unfilled bread from the sandwich with fillings, the term bánh mì không ("plain bread") can be used.

What does banh mean in viet? ›

In Vietnamese, the term bánh (Hanoi: [ɓaʲŋ̟˧˥] or Saigon: [ɓan˧˥], Chữ Nôm: 餅) translates loosely as "cake" or "bread", but refers to a wide variety of prepared foods that can easily be eaten by hands or chopsticks.

What do you eat with banh tet? ›

You can enjoy hot fried banh tet with braised pork or dip it in sugar or milk for a sweet twist. Banh tet with braised meat: It is common to eat banh tet with braised meat for a simple, tasty meal.

Should Banh Mi be served hot or cold? ›

the perfect make ahead: banh mi can be served hot or cold that's why they are great to make ahead. with the correct bread these things can hold assembled an entire day that's why the crust on the bread is important it keeps it from getting soggy. SIMILAR INGREDIENTS TO: SPICY BEEF AND BRUSSEL SPROUT SLAW SANDWICH.

What do you eat bánh chưng with? ›

As the cake was formed from several ingredients, the taste of bánh chưng varies from part to part with different flavors of glutinous rice, pork, bean and even the wrapping lá dong. Bánh chưng is often served with pickled onions or vegetables, chả lụa and nước mắm.

Why do people eat sticky rice cake? ›

Rice cakes (nian gao) – southern China

The word nian gao sounds like “higher year,” representing a better year to come. “People eat rice cake because in Chinese, the cake carries the meaning of height, so if you eat cake, it means that in the new year, you will have good luck,” Xiu said.

What is a Vietnamese cake called? ›

Banh duc - one of the most delectable Vietnamese cakes

Banh duc is a traditional Vietnamese cake made from humble rice grains. There are various types of banh duc such as the plain one made from glutinous rice flour, cut into bite-sized pieces, and served with soy sauce or sesame.

What does the sticky rice cake mean? ›

Nian gao, or 'year cake', is a sticky rice cake which represents prosperity; the words 'nian gao' sounds like 'getting higher year on year', and this symbolises raising oneself taller in each coming year.

What is the story behind Banh Tet Banh Chung? ›

Banh Chung on the other hand symbolized the earth and was made by molding a square rice cake stuffed with cooked bean paste and ground meat. Emperor Hung declared Lang Lieu the winner, passed the throne to him, and since then, Banh Chung and Banh Day became traditional foods every Tet.

Why is Banh Chung a part of the special Tet Meal? ›

In tasting the dishes offered by his son, the Hùng king found bánh chưng and bánh giầy not only delicious but also a fine representation of the respect for ancestors. Therefore, he decided to cede the throne to Lang Liêu and bánh chưng, bánh giầy became traditional foods during Tết.

What is the difference between banh khot and Banh Xeo? ›

Unlike banh xeo which is fried on a large pan, banh khot is cooked in small round molds, with other ingredients like pork, mung beans, shallots and coconut milk added on top. The rim should be slightly burnt to add flavor to the tasty treat.

Is Banh Chung a Vietnamese traditional cake it is usually eaten on Tet holidays? ›

Here is the answer: Banh Chung or Chung Cake is a Vietnamese traditional dish, served on the Tet holiday. Sticky rice, pork, and green beans are used to make up a Chung cake, and they are all wrapped in a leaf called a dong that resembles a banana leaf.

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