Version from Vietnam
bánh trôi — Vietnam
Small glutinous rice balls filled with a cube of palm sugar, boiled until they float and rolled in toasted sesame seeds, as prepared in Vietnam.
- 45 min
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 4
- Servings
- Easy
- Difficulty
Bánh trôi is a Vietnamese sweet made of small, round dumplings of glutinous rice flour, each one wrapped around a small cube of palm sugar or rock sugar rather than a bean paste filling. It is closely related to bánh chay, a larger, mung-bean-filled dumpling served warm in ginger syrup, the two dishes commonly appearing together on the same occasion.
It is reported from Vietnam, where it is associated, according to sources, with the Tết Hàn Thực observance in the third lunar month; the precise history and dating of this custom are not settled and are best described in general terms. The dish is made and eaten across the country rather than being tied to one particular region.
The dough is kneaded from glutinous rice flour and water until smooth, then divided into small portions, each flattened and wrapped around a cube of palm sugar before being sealed into a ball. The balls are boiled until they float, a sign that the dough has cooked through and the sugar inside has melted, then lifted out, briefly cooled in water, and rolled in toasted sesame seeds.
What distinguishes bánh trôi from bánh chay is mainly the filling and the way it is served: a solid piece of sugar rather than mashed mung beans, and a dry coating of sesame seeds rather than a bowl of syrup. This makes it a simpler, more compact preparation, often made in larger batches for the same occasion as its syrup-based counterpart.
Preparation
Knead the glutinous rice flour with warm water and a pinch of salt into a smooth, soft dough.
Divide the dough into small, equal portions and flatten each one in your palm.
Place a small cube of palm sugar in the center of each disc and wrap the dough around it, sealing it into a smooth ball.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and drop in the balls; cook until they float to the surface.
Lift the cooked balls out with a slotted spoon and plunge them briefly into cold water.
Roll the balls in toasted sesame seeds before serving.
