Bánh cốm Hà Nội — green rice cakes with sweet mung-bean filling

Rinse and soak the mung beans and glutinous rice separately in cool water in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Drain well. Quickly rinse the dried green rice flakes in a sieve, remove any debris, soak them in cool water for 10 minutes and drain thoroughly.

Steam the mung beans for 25–30 minutes until completely tender and easy to mash. Put the drained glutinous rice in a small covered pan with 90 ml water and the salt. Cook over low heat for 12–15 minutes, until soft and sticky; add a spoonful of water if the pan dries before the rice is tender.

Mash or blend the hot mung beans until smooth. Transfer to a pan with 45 g sugar, coconut milk, grated coconut and 10 ml oil. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 8–12 minutes until the filling gathers into a thick paste and a spatula leaves a clear path across the pan. Fold in the chopped candied lotus, if using, and the grapefruit-blossom water. Cover and cool until firm enough to handle, then divide into 8 balls.

In a clean heavy pan, combine the drained green rice flakes, cooked glutinous rice, 65 g sugar and 300 ml water. Cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the base, for 18–25 minutes until the grains soften and the mixture becomes glossy, cohesive and pliable. Add extra water 1 tablespoon at a time only if it catches before softening. Do not let it scorch.

Let the wrapper mixture cool until warm and safe to handle. Pulse it in a food processor in short bursts until mostly smooth and sticky, working in batches if needed. Stir in 15 ml oil. Without a processor, mash firmly with an oiled pestle until the grains bind.

Lightly oil parchment and hands. Divide the wrapper into 8 portions. Flatten one into a square about 8 cm wide, place a filling ball in the middle, fold the wrapper around it and pinch closed. Turn seam-side down and press gently into a neat square about 6–7 cm wide. Repeat with the remaining portions.

Wrap each cake individually in food-safe parchment or plastic wrap. Let cool, then refrigerate within 2 hours. Serve chilled or let stand at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving; do not leave out for more than 2 hours.