Vietnamese National Dishes

Bánh ít lá gai

Make small, dark and chewy cakes from glutinous rice dough colored with lá gai, filled with sweet mung bean and coconut, then folded into banana-leaf pyramids and steamed.

Vietnamese National Dishes
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A row of pointed bánh ít lá gai parcels on a platter beside one opened cake
Banana-leaf packets and an opened cake show the dark dough and pale mung-bean filling.
Yield 8 servings, 16 cakes
Cook About 80 minutes
Passive About 4 hours 45 minutes
Total About 6 hours 55 minutes, including soaking and setting
Calories per serving About 650 kcal
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Bánh ít lá gai

Bánh ít lá gai is known for its pointed little parcels, dark chewy dough and sweet center. In Bình Định, the dough is made with lá gai, a ramie leaf, and the banana-leaf wrapper gives the cake its pyramid shape. Fillings and wrapping methods vary. This version uses mung bean cooked with fresh coconut, a combination documented for the province.

The leaf is boiled and finely puréed into the dough rather than used as a dye. The cakes are satisfying at room temperature once their sticky exterior has set. Plan ahead: the beans need a long soak, and the filling must cool before wrapping.

Practical

Practical

  • Tips for successSoak the mung beans in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Boil the dried leaves until fully soft, then squeeze and blend them very fine so the dough is not stringy. Add the leaf liquid gradually; flour and leaf moisture vary, so stop once the dough is smooth and elastic. Cool the filling completely before shaping, or it will soften the dough and make sealing difficult. Fold the banana leaf snugly around each cake and leave room in the steamer for steam to circulate.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Dough

  • 100 g dried lá gai (ramie leaves), rinsed
  • 500 g glutinous rice flour
  • 300 g granulated sugar
  • 60 ml neutral oil
  • 250 ml water, for boiling the leaves and adjusting the dough; up to 30 ml extra only if needed

Filling and wrapping

  • 250 g split hulled mung beans, dry
  • 150 g granulated sugar
  • 60 g fresh unsweetened grated coconut
  • 1 g fine salt
  • 16 banana-leaf squares, about 20 cm each
  • 30 ml neutral oil, for a thin film on leaves and hands
Method

Method

Method

  1. Soak and prepare the leaves. Rinse the mung beans and soak in cool water for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Thaw frozen banana leaves if needed; wash, soften in hot water or briefly over heat, wipe clean and dry.

  2. Cook the lá gai. Simmer the dried leaves in the measured water for 20–25 minutes, until completely soft. Drain, reserving the liquid, and squeeze the leaves firmly. Blend or pound to a very fine paste.

  3. Make the filling. Steam or simmer the drained beans in fresh water for 20–25 minutes until tender; drain well. Mash in a pan over low heat with 150 g sugar, coconut and salt until thick enough to hold its shape. Spread on a tray and cool completely, about 30 minutes; divide into 16 balls.

  4. Mix the dough. Combine the rice flour, 300 g sugar, 60 ml oil and lá gai paste. Add the reserved leaf liquid a little at a time and knead until dark, smooth and elastic. Use up to 30 ml extra water only if the dough is crumbly. Divide into 16 equal pieces.

  5. Fill the cakes. Flatten each dough piece into a round, put a mung-bean ball in the middle, close the dough around it and pinch the seam. Gently shape each into a small cone with a pointed top.

  6. Wrap. Brush a very thin film of the 30 ml oil on the inner side of each leaf square. Place one cake in the center and fold the leaf snugly into a triangular packet, tucking the folds underneath. Set seam-side down in the steamer.

  7. Steam and serve. Steam, covered, over rapidly boiling water for 30–35 minutes. Keep the water below the rack and replenish carefully with boiling water if needed. The dough should look glossy, set and hot through the center. Turn off the heat and rest the parcels for 15 minutes before opening. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C; keep at or below 4°C for 3–4 days and reheat to 74°C.

Practical

Practical

Practical guidance

Use dried lá gai for this measured version; fresh or frozen leaves hold a different amount of water. If you cannot find the leaf, wait until you can source it rather than adding food coloring, which changes only the appearance. Banana leaves should bend without splitting. If they are still stiff after washing, soften them again with hot water.

Troubleshooting

The dough cracks: Knead in a teaspoon of reserved leaf liquid at a time until it is pliable; avoid adding all the extra water at once. The dough feels stringy: The leaves were not puréed finely enough. Blend the paste longer next time. The filling leaks: Cool it completely, drain the beans well and seal the dough seam before shaping. The leaf splits: Warm or briefly heat it until flexible, then dry it before oiling and folding. The center seems floury: Rewrap and steam for 5 minutes more, then let the cake rest before opening.

Food safety

Soak the beans in the refrigerator because the soak lasts 4 hours. Cook them until fully tender before making the filling. Use dry oven mitts when lifting the steamer lid and tilt it away from your face and hands to avoid steam burns. Refrigerate cooked cakes within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C; store at or below 4°C for 3–4 days. Reheat until the center reaches 74°C. Do not use room-temperature shelf-life claims for this moist home batch.

FAQ

Can I use fresh or frozen lá gai? This recipe is measured for dried leaves. Fresh and frozen leaves contain more water, so they need a different dough adjustment. Can I make the filling without mung beans? Coconut-only and other fillings exist, but this recipe is balanced for mung bean and coconut together. Do the banana leaves get eaten? No. They shape and protect the cakes; peel them away before eating. Can I prepare them ahead? Yes. Refrigerate cooked cakes promptly and steam them again until hot through before serving.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

  • Serving size2 cakes
  • CaloriesAbout 650 kcal
  • CarbohydrateAbout 127 g
  • ProteinAbout 12 g
  • FatAbout 11 g
  • FibreAbout 7 g
  • SodiumAbout 30 mg
Allergens

Allergens

Contains coconut. Allergy declaration rules differ by country; check the labels and cross-contact information on the rice flour, dried leaves and coconut.

A final note

A final note

  • Keep the banana-leaf folds tucked underneath so the cakes hold their shape.
  • Peel away the wrapper and enjoy the cakes warm or at room temperature.
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