Vietnamese National Dishes

Bánh phu thê Huế — Hue coconut-leaf mung-bean cakes

Make Huế-style bánh phu thê in small square coconut-leaf boxes, with a glossy tapioca shell, sweet mung-bean center and tender coconut strands.

Vietnamese National Dishes
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Square green coconut-leaf boxes of bánh phu thê sit on the right of a wooden table; one is opened, with a woven tray and leaves to the left.
A wide Huế table scene with coconut-leaf cakes and a glimpse of their mung-bean filling.
Yield 8 small cakes
Cook 50 minutes
Passive 150 minutes for soaking and cooling
Total 230 minutes
Calories per serving about 320 kcal, without optional additions
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Bánh phu thê Huế — Hue coconut-leaf mung-bean cakes

Bánh phu thê, also called bánh su sê, is made in several Vietnamese regional forms. In Huế, the cakes are known for their square boxes folded from coconut leaves and their clear, chewy tapioca shell around a golden mung-bean center. Coconut strands add a little bite. Huế accounts describe the cake in wedding and seasonal celebration settings; this version follows that local shape and ingredient profile.

The quantities here are a measured home adaptation, not a claim that every family uses one formula. The tapioca mixture is cooked only until semi-set and still spoonable, layered around the filling, then steamed until clear. The cake cools before the matching leaf lid is fitted, keeping the fresh green box visible.

Practical

Practical

  • Tips for successUse split, hulled mung beans so they steam evenly and mash without tough skins. Cook the filling until it holds a mound; a wet center can make the finished cake slump. Stop cooking the tapioca mixture while it still falls in a slow ribbon. If it becomes a firm dough, it will be hard to layer neatly.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Mung-bean filling

  • 100 g dried split hulled mung beans, rinsed, soaked for 2 hours and drained
  • 50 g granulated sugar
  • 1 g fine salt

Tapioca shell

  • 140 g tapioca starch
  • 35 g granulated sugar
  • 1 g fine salt
  • 220 ml water
  • 25 g fresh young coconut, finely shredded

Coconut-leaf boxes

  • 16 clean, food-grade young coconut leaf strips, two for each cake (one square base and one lid)
Method

Method

Method

  1. Rinse the mung beans, cover with plenty of water and soak for 2 hours; if the room is hot, soak them in the refrigerator. Drain. The soaking time is passive.

  2. Steam the drained beans in a covered heatproof bowl over simmering water for 20–25 minutes, until very soft and easy to mash. Mash until mostly smooth, then transfer to a small skillet with the sugar and 1 g salt. Cook over low heat, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until the paste holds a mound and no longer looks wet. Cool for 15 minutes, then divide into eight small centers.

  3. Wash the food-grade coconut-leaf strips and fold them into eight square boxes about 5 cm wide, each with a matching lid. Keep the boxes open while filling. If leaf boxes are unavailable, use heatproof silicone cups and serve without claiming the leaf aroma or presentation.

  4. In a small saucepan, whisk the tapioca starch, 35 g sugar, 1 g salt and water until smooth. Stir in the shredded coconut. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 3–5 minutes until thickened, partly translucent and falling from the spatula in a slow ribbon. Do not cook it into a stiff dough.

  5. Spoon a thin layer of warm tapioca mixture into each leaf box. Set one mung-bean center in the middle and cover it with another layer, leaving the yellow center visible through the sides. Leave a little room at the top and do not attach the lids yet.

  6. Arrange the boxes in a steamer without crowding. Wrap the steamer lid with a clean towel to catch condensation and steam over steadily boiling water for 10–12 minutes. The shell should turn clear and glossy, without chalky opaque patches. Carefully remove the boxes and cool for 15 minutes before fitting the leaf lids.

Practical

Practical

Practical guidance

The natural shell is clear rather than green. Keep the layers thin enough for the yellow filling to show through. If you cannot get food-grade coconut leaves, silicone cups will cook the cakes, but they will not give the Huế leaf-box aroma or presentation. Cool the cakes promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container at or below 4°C / 40°F within 2 hours. Use within 2 days. Reheat by steaming until hot throughout and 74°C / 165°F at the centre.

Troubleshooting

The filling will not hold its shape: return it to low heat and stir for a few more minutes until it looks matte and cohesive, then cool before shaping. The shell looks cloudy after steaming: continue steaming for 2 minutes and check again; a clear, glossy appearance means the starch has cooked through.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make the boxes without coconut leaves? Yes. Small heatproof silicone cups can hold the cakes while steaming, but the leaf aroma and square Huế presentation will be absent. Can I add pandan or lotus seeds? Those appear in some home variations, but this measured Huế version keeps the shell clear and the center focused on mung bean and coconut.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

  • Serving size2 small cakes, about 140 g, without optional additions
  • Calories320 kcal
  • Carbohydrate69 g
  • Protein6 g
  • Fat2 g
  • Fibre5 g
  • Sodium200 mg
Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

Contains mung bean, a legume, and coconut. The recipe adds no egg, dairy, sesame or wheat. Packaged tapioca starch may have cross-contact; check its label if needed and do not assume it is certified gluten-free. Refrigerate the moist mung-bean cakes within 2 hours at or below 4°C / 40°F, use within 2 days and reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F.

To finish

To finish

  • Serve the cakes once cooled, in their bright green leaf boxes.
  • Cut one open so the clear shell, golden mung filling and coconut strands are easy to see.
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