Vietnam

Sweet rice dumplings with ginger syrup( Banh Troi Nuoc)



Background History:

In Vietnam, it’s customary to eat dumplings on the third day of the Third Lunar Month, during which it is forbidden to light a fire in the kitchen. On this day, cold food( prepared the day before) is consumed, including these little round sweet dumplings. A poet, Ho-Xuan-Huong, wrote this famous quarrain. She described Banh Troi while making an analogy to her adventurous, yet pure and dignified private life:
My body is white and my destiny round,
I float and sink, water and mountain.
Hard or soft, I depend on the skills of the person who kneads me.
Despite everything, I always keep a consistent heart.

What is so unique about this dessert?

This unusual and delicious dessert is usually served after a light meal. It must be eaten at room temperature for the ginger to develop its full flavour. The heat of the ginger nicely counterbalances the sweet syrup. This dessert is consumed as part of a unique culture and tradition. In western countries, very often people eat dessert to signify the end of the meal, desserts are not eaten due to cultural and traditional beliefs. In a way, this reflects the uniqueness of eating desserts in Southeast Asia. We don’t eat desserts for the sake of eating, we eat them because it is part of our unique Southeast Asian culture and tradition.

Just to satisfy your curiousity

Ingredients

Ginger syrup
· 1 ounce fresh gingerroot, crushed
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 ½ cups hot water
Filling
· ¼ cup dried yellow mung beans
· 1 ½ tablespoons sugar
· ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Dough
· 2 cups glutinous rice flour
· ¾ cup boiling water

Methods:

1. Make the ginger syrup: Cook the ginger and sugar in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, swirling the pan constantly, until the sugar browns. It will smoke slightly. Immediately stir the hot water into the caramel, being careful to guard against splattering( the mixture will bubble vigorously). Boil the mixture, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, about 3 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. When the syrup is completely cooked, strain and discard the ginger.
3. Make the filling: soak the mung beans in warm water for 30 minutes; drain. Steam oner high heat for 20 minutes. Transfer to a food processor; ass the sugar and puree to a fine paste. Refrigerate until the mixture firms up, about 20 minutes.
4. Prepare the sesame seeds; reserve 2 tablespoons for garnish. In a mortar, pound or process the remaining sesame seeds to a paste.
5. Combine the sesame paste and mung bean paste; blend well. Pick up the combined paste by teaspoonfuls and roll to form small marble-size balls. Repeat until all the paste is used; there will be about 16 balls. Set aside.
6. Make the dough: place the glutinous rice flour in a mixing bowl. Add the boiling water to the bowl. Working quickly, use chopsticks or a fork to stir the mixture until it forms a sticky dough. Cover the dough and let stand for 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Knead the dough for 3 minutes, or until soft and smooth.
7. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each part by hand into a rope that is about 10 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Cut each rope into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Work with 1 ball at a time, keep the others covered with a damp cloth.
8. Use the palm of your hand to flatten a dough ball into a 2 ½ inch disk. Place 1 mung bean ball in the center; gather the edges around the filling and pinch to seal. Roll the filled dough into a round ball between the palms of your hands.
9. Divide the remaining 4 portions of dough into 16 pieces, then roll them between your palms to form small balls.
10. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the filled dumplings and cook for 2 minutes over moderate heat. Add the smaller dumplings and cook for another 3 minutes, until they rise to the surface. Drain the dumplings in a colander.
11. Reheat the ginger syrup over low heat in a large pot. Add the drained dumplings to the syrup and let simmer for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool
12. Serve each guest 4 large dumplings and 4 small dumplings, along with the ginger syrup, in individual dessert cups or bowls. Sprinkle with the reserved toasted sesame seeds.