During the traditional Tet holiday, banh chung is a harmonious combination of simple ingredients associated with wet rice agriculture. Green banh chung in Vietnam is a dish that creates a delicacy with the combination of sticky rice, green beans, fatty meat...
All of these have created a traditional Vietnamese dish imbued with national identity. However, wrapping many banh chung to offer on the family altar has caused many families to have a "headache" with the amount of banh chung left over after Tet.
Banh chung and banh tet are indispensable delicacies during Vietnamese Tet. But if you don't know how to preserve them properly, they will easily go rancid and moldy.
Therefore, after each Lunar New Year, "How to deal with Banh Chung?" is a very big question for home cooks. Not to mention eating Banh Chung every day makes many families bored, leaving dozens of Banh Chung leftover.
Preserving Chung cake after Tet
After Tet, many families have a lot of leftover banh chung, which cannot be preserved for long if left outside. In humid weather, the cakes are very easy to get moldy and spoil, and must be thrown away, which is a waste. Many people often put the whole banh chung in the freezer for a while, when needed, take it out to defrost for a few hours or microwave it, let it soften before frying.
Normally, if you keep the cake in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight, it will last for 2-3 days.
This preservation takes quite a long time and when cutting the cake, the rice grains are often broken. Therefore, people should cut each piece of banh chung into small pieces, peel off the leaves and wrap it with plastic wrap, and store it in the freezer. When eating, take out a few pieces, peel off the plastic wrap and put it in the microwave to heat, fry evenly and do not have to wait for the whole cake to defrost.
If the inside of the banh chung is sour, discolored or has a strange smell, people should not eat it to avoid affecting their health. Preserving banh chung properly after Tet not only retains its delicious flavor but also avoids food waste.
Fried Chung Cake
This is the most “classic” way to prepare banh chung. Banh chung left for a long time is no longer as soft and delicious as when freshly boiled, but becomes firmer, but is much more delicious when fried.
With an attractive golden crispy outer layer, the inside is softened by the heat, the cake becomes more attractive than ever, especially when people no longer feel "bored" with the sumptuous dishes of Tet. Even the way to fry banh chung brings about many interesting debates.
How to make traditional and delicious banh chung
Some people like to fry the whole 1/8 corner, suitable for those who are afraid of being greasy, just want to fry to create a thin crispy crust on the outside, before enjoying the soft cake inside. Others like to fry and pound the banh chung until it is crushed and spread into a thin layer of cake, the filling and the crust blend together very smoothly, making the cake both crispy and rich, fatty and very attractive.
Another popular version of fried banh chung is to cut the cake into thin slices and fry both sides until golden brown.
When the banh chung is soft, put it in a pan and use a spoon to mash it, keep the heat low, fry and roll it into a circle.
Skilled hands can use small strips to cut the cake into thin, even slices, only about 1cm thick, which is both beautiful and does not require washing the sticky rice that sticks to the knife blade. This type of cake is moderate in taste, does not absorb too much fat, has a better balance of crispiness and softness, and is also easier to eat.
Kimbap Banh Chung
Kimbap banh chung is also one of the effective solutions to deal with leftover banh chung after Tet. Besides, this is also a "refrigerator-cleaning" version that also contributes to bringing a crispy, chewy, and unique flavor.
Kimbap banh chung is a unique dish, made with simple ingredients such as banh chung, ham, sausage, cucumber, etc.
The steps to make this dish are very simple. You just need to thinly slice the banh chung, mash it, then fry it with water until the surface is dry, then turn off the stove. Next, place the seaweed sheet on a flat surface, spread the banh chung evenly, and add the available filling or leftovers from Tet such as ham, long-sliced sausages, vegetables, fried eggs... and roll it up tightly.
If you are tired of boiled or fried banh chung during Tet, try this recipe for banh chung kimbap.
Finally, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water or apply a little cooking oil and cut the kimbap into bite-sized pieces. Enjoy with mayonnaise mixed with chili sauce or tomato sauce depending on your taste.
Fried Chung Cake with Water
Crispy fried banh chung, a culinary trend that has appeared in recent years, still retains a certain appeal in the hearts of many people, although it is no longer as "hot" as it was in the beginning. The way to prepare this dish is also quite simple, not requiring too many skills or complicated ingredients. First, you need to prepare a cooled banh chung. Instead of enjoying it the traditional way, try to change it up a bit, cutting the banh chung into small, bite-sized pieces.
The method is quite simple. First, you cut the banh chung into small pieces. Then, boil water in a pan, put the banh chung in and use a ladle or spoon to crush the cake, then simmer until the water is completely gone and both sides of the cake become golden brown, then pour it onto a plate and enjoy.
This method has the advantage of not using oil, which is good for health. However, many people after experiencing it shared that this method makes the banh chung soggy, broken and bland, not as delicious as the first time, and of course "far inferior" to the cake fried in oil.
Baked Chung Cake
Baked Banh Chung is a unique dish to deal with leftover Banh Chung after Tet. The way to make this dish is also quite simple.
First, you crack 1 egg, season with fish sauce, seasoning powder, beat well. Then, roll each piece of banh chung in flour and dip in egg.
Baked banh chung is simple to prepare but the result is very delicious.
In addition, for the pork roll, you do the same. Then put the pork roll on the banh chung, sprinkle pepper on it, put it in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius, after about 25 minutes, take it out, spread butter and bake for another 15 minutes. When the oven stops rotating, put it on a plate, eat with chili sauce, soy sauce or pickled shallot fish sauce.
Cook porridge from banh chung
This is considered a unique creation of young people spreading on social networks. This dish sounds quite strange but leftover banh chung can be used to make porridge. Besides, the ingredients to make this dish are extremely quick, convenient and simple.
Add the remaining banh chung to the pot of boiling water. You can cut the banh chung into small pieces to help it melt faster. When the cake is softer, use a spoon to stir and mash the banh chung into the water. Then, add a little salt, seasoning powder or fish sauce to taste.
Next, add the evenly sliced filling (this filling can depend on the items in your fridge such as: ham, ham, chicken...) and seasoning to taste.
Banh chung porridge is not only a solution for leftover banh chung but also a warm, delicious dish for the whole family during family reunions. Besides, this dish can also be eaten with pickled onions, pickles, pork floss...
