Ingredients
Rice
- 500 gglutinous rice
- water, for soaking
Coconut mixture
- 400 mlthick coconut milk
- 80 gcaster sugar
- 1 tspsalt
Filling
- 6small ripe bananas, halved lengthways
- 150 gmung beans, split and skinned, soaked
Wrapping
- banana leaves, cut into rectangles
- kitchen string or strips of banana leaf
Equipment
- a large steamer, or a pot for boiling
Directions
- Rinse it in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Cover it with cold water and soak it overnight. It must swell fully, since it will not soften properly otherwise.
- Drain it thoroughly the next day. Soak the split mung beans for four hours in cold water. Drain them and steam them for twenty minutes until soft. Mash them roughly with a fork. Warm the coconut milk in a wide pan with the sugar and salt.
- Stir until the sugar dissolves. Do not let it boil, since it will split. Add the drained glutinous rice to the pan. Cook it over a low heat for about twelve minutes, stirring. It should be part cooked and sticky but still firm in the centre.
- Stir in the mashed mung beans if you are mixing them through. Let it cool just enough to handle. Now the banana leaves, which need preparing. Cut them into rectangles about twenty by twenty-five centimetres. Now wrapping, which takes practice. Lay a leaf rectangle shiny side down. Spoon a line of the rice mixture down the centre. Press a half banana into the rice.
- Cover it with more rice so the banana is enclosed. Do not overfill, since the rice swells as it steams. Fold the two long sides of the leaf over the filling. Fold them so they overlap and enclose the rice completely. Fold the two ends up and tuck them under. Now tying, which is done in pairs.
- Set two parcels back to back with their folds facing inward. Tie them together firmly with string in two places. Tie them snugly but not so tight that the rice is squeezed out. Now steaming, which takes over an hour.
- Stack the tied pairs in a large steamer. Leave gaps so steam can reach everything. Bring the water beneath to a rolling boil. Steam them for an hour and a half. Check the water level halfway and top it up with boiling water. Now checking that they are done. Take one out and let it cool for five minutes. Open it and press the rice, which should be fully soft and translucent.
- Lift them out and let them cool at room temperature. They firm up as they cool and are much easier to eat. Serve them at room temperature, unwrapped at the table. They keep for two days and are steamed again to soften them.
Technique
- Soak the glutinous rice overnight, since it will not soften properly otherwise.
- Wilt the banana leaves over a flame first, or they crack when folded.
- Do not refrigerate them, as cold turns glutinous rice hard.
Substitutions
- Foil or baking parchment if banana leaves are unavailable.
- Black glutinous rice mixed in, for colour.
Variations
- With black beans in place of mung beans.
- Savoury, with pork belly and no sugar.
- With black glutinous rice for a purple parcel.
History
Made for Lao temple offerings and festivals, the parcels tied in pairs and steamed over a wood fire.
Frequently asked questions
What is Khao Tom Mat?
Khao Tom Mat is a snack from Laos: sticky rice with banana and mung bean, wrapped in leaf and steamed. Made for Lao temple offerings and festivals, the parcels tied in pairs and steamed over a wood fire.
How long does Khao Tom Mat take to make?
Khao Tom Mat takes 40 min plus overnight soaking of preparation and 1 hour 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 12 parcels. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Khao Tom Mat?
Yes, within limits. Foil or baking parchment if banana leaves are unavailable. Black glutinous rice mixed in, for colour.
What is the most important thing to get right in Khao Tom Mat?
Rinse it in several changes of water until the water runs clear. Cover it with cold water and soak it overnight. It must swell fully, since it will not soften properly otherwise.
