Xôi Vị Lá Dứa Đậu Xanh (Pandan and Coconut Sweet Rice with Star Anise and Mung Bean Filling)

For the Rice:
-300g sweet rice (aka glutinous rice)
-200g sugar
-300g coconut milk
-10 star anises
-1/2 tsp salt
-water
-pandan paste

**Wash rice and soak in water for at least 4 hours before steaming. While rice is steaming, simmer together sugar, coconut milk, salt and anises for 15 mins. Cool syrup and remove anise seeds. Divide steamed rice into 2 portions. Mix 1 portion of rice with ½ of the coconut syrup. Add panda paste about ½ tsp pandan paste to the remaining syrup and mix it with the other portion of rice.

Mung Bean Filling:
-100g mung beans (peeled and split)
-75g sugar
-1 tsp oil
-water

**Wash beans and cook until tender. Mash beans and mix with sugar and oil. Stir fry over medium heat until thickened.

Assembling the Rice:
Line a square cake pan with foil or plastic wrap. Add a layer of rice, smooth it out and pat it down. Next comes the mung beans, and then other rice portion, remember to smooth out and pat down after each layer addition. Tightly pack down the rice before removing and cutting. Cut the rice “cake” into thin strips, then cut the strips diagonally to make diamond shaped pieces. Arrange the pieces on a plate.