This one takes most of a day and repays the effort, with sticky rice that is supple and scented with pandan. The hard part is wrapping tightly, because a loose log turns soggy.
The glutinous rice soaks for 4 hours in blended pandan water with salt, then drains before wrapping. The mung bean filling is divided into 6 portions of about 130g, each rolled around a piece of pork. The wrapped logs boil gently for a full 4 hours, then go into cold water.
This batch weighs about 3kg, at roughly 250 calories per 100g.
Method
Blend 100g pandan leaf with 1 liter water. Rinse 1kg glutinous rice, then soak it in the pandan water with 1 tablespoon salt. After 4 hours, lift it out and drain it.
Wash 300g mung bean, cook it over medium heat, and once it boils lower the heat, cover and cook for 20 more minutes. When the beans are soft, put them in a bowl with 1 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and mash them.
Scrape the skin of 500g pork belly clean, rub it with a little salt and lime juice, rinse it, and cut it into pieces about a finger joint thick. Season with 2/3 teaspoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns and 3 sliced shallots, and leave it for 20 minutes.
Divide the mung bean into 6 portions of about 130g, spread each over cling film, lay a piece of pork in the middle and roll it into a log about 12cm long.
Wipe the banana leaves clean and cut them into 30cm lengths. Lay 2 leaves darker side down and 1 leaf darker side up, spread the rice evenly leaving half a finger joint at the edges, set the filling log in the middle and cover it with more rice.
Fold the two edges of the leaf over, press them tight, fold in both ends, stand the log up and hold it with a rubber band, then tie it with string lengthwise and crosswise.
Arrange the logs in a pot lined and topped with 2 to 3 banana leaves, and boil gently for 4 hours.
Lift the logs out, dip them in cold water for 3 to 5 minutes and let them cool completely.
Tips
Soaking the glutinous rice in pandan water gives it fragrance and a pale green tint.
Pork marinated overnight in the fridge takes on more flavor.
Mash the mung beans while they are still hot for a smooth filling, since cooled beans firm up and leave it grainy.
Tie the string firmly, because a loose log lets the boiling water in and turns the rice soggy.
After boiling, dip the logs in cold water for 3 to 5 minutes and let them cool completely before slicing.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.