Bánh trôi
bánh trôi nước
Glutinous-rice balls filled with sugar or mung bean, associated with the Cold Food Festival and ancestor remembrance. Its name means “floating cake,” referring to the dumplings rising to the surface as they cook.
About this dish
Glutinous-rice balls filled with sugar or mung bean, associated with the Cold Food Festival and ancestor remembrance. The recipe here chooses one named variation from that wider tradition; household fillings, shapes and serving styles may differ.
Recipe
Vietnamese sugar-filled bánh trôi
- 200 g glutinous rice flour
- 20 g plain rice flour
- 195-220 ml warm water
- pinch of salt
- 60 g firm Vietnamese cane sugar, cut into 24 small cubes
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1
Use 200 g glutinous rice flour; 20 g plain rice flour; 195-220 ml warm water and the listed remaining ingredients. Mix flours and salt. Add water gradually until smooth, pliable and not wet; cover and rest 30 minutes. Start at lower water, knead until hydrated and pliable and cover throughout the rest.
- 2
Divide into 24. Flatten each, enclose a sugar cube and seal completely. Roll until smooth. Place sugar centrally, pinch opening fully closed and smooth all cracks so sugar cannot leak.
- 3
Simmer gently in ample water until balls rise and remain afloat, then test one: shell must be cooked through and sugar softened. Depending on size, allow 12-20 minutes. Use roomy water and stir once; floating is a cue, not proof. Cut a test piece for a cooked chewy shell and softened sugar without tasting raw dough.
- 4
Transfer to cold water briefly, drain onto a plate and top with sesame. Cool briefly in fresh cold water, drain well and add sesame; serve before shells firm up.
Note
Choose small firm sugar cubes rather than loose granulated sugar. A cracked shell leaks filling; cooking time varies with cube and dumpling size.