Banh Chung (Vietnamese Rice Cake)

Vietnamese Lunar New Year(Tet) will never be complete without this cake. It's very heavy, very filling, an Atkin dieter's nightmare, but it taste amazing. It takes a LONG time to cook. You read right that it takes 6 hours. And overnight soaking of rice and beans!

• Ready In: 7 hrs
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 200  g glutinous rice, soaked overnight
• 100 -150  g  mung beans, soaked overnight
• 100  g pork, cut into chunks,seasoned with
•  salt and pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. You will also need: Strings and 6 phrynium leaves or aluminum foil can be used as substitute.
2. Steam or boil mung bean with half a tsp of salt until soft, may take up to 45 minutes depending on how large your steamer is.
3. Smash bean thoroughly.
4. Place 2 leaves in one direction, slightly overlapping, then 2 perpendicular, also overlapping, and the last layer like the first.
5. If use aluminum foil, place them crossing each other.
6. Place half of the rice on the leaves, topped with half of the mung beans.
7. Lay the pork on top of the beans, and then add the last of the beans followed by last of the rice.
8. Fold the leaves/foils over the cake very tightly into a square, use string to secure the cake.
9. Place in a large pot, cover with water and boil for about 6 hours.
10. Add water every hour if necessary.
11. After 6 hours or so, remove the cake, submerge it into cold water for a few minutes.
12. The cake lasts up to 10 days on a cool dry place.
13. The easiest way to cut up the cake is to open it and use the string to cut it up into 8 portions.
14. Best served with pickled onions.