A distinctive street food of Hanoi in winter, banh khuc or xoi khuc is a ball of glutinous rice mixed with cudweed and filled with mung bean paste and well-seasoned greasy pork.
Nguyen Thi Lan, the owner of Banh khuc co Lan, which is now a popular brand of banh khuc in Hanoi, started making banh khuc in the 1960s after learning how to make it from her mother. The dish is simple but it is not easy to make delicious banh khuc, according to Lan.
To make banh khuc, the cudweed is well brayed to obtain a mash liquor which is then mixed with the glutinous rice powder and kneaded well. The mixture serves as the cover of banh khuc while the fillings are made from well-kneaded ground mung beans rolled into balls with pork and pepper inside. The sticky rice balls are then steamed with a layer of sticky rice at the bottom of the pot. Each portion is wrapped in a banana leaf.
A portion of banh khuc sells for 13,000 dong (0.6 US dollars). More than 1,000 portions can be sold a day at Banh khuc co Lan.
Nguyen Thi Lan, the owner of Banh khuc co Lan, which is now a popular brand of banh khuc in Hanoi, started making banh khuc in the 1960s after learning how to make it from her mother. The dish is simple but it is not easy to make delicious banh khuc, according to Lan.
Banh khuc co Lan is served with a mixture of roasted and crushed sesame seeds and salt.
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To make banh khuc, the cudweed is well brayed to obtain a mash liquor which is then mixed with the glutinous rice powder and kneaded well. The mixture serves as the cover of banh khuc while the fillings are made from well-kneaded ground mung beans rolled into balls with pork and pepper inside. The sticky rice balls are then steamed with a layer of sticky rice at the bottom of the pot. Each portion is wrapped in a banana leaf.
A portion of banh khuc sells for 13,000 dong (0.6 US dollars). More than 1,000 portions can be sold a day at Banh khuc co Lan.
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Places selling Banh khuc co Lan in Hanoi: No. 69B, Nguyen Cong Tru street. No. 29, Nguyen Thai Hoc street. No. 20, Le Duan street. |
Story: Ngan Ha - Photos: Khanh Long
