Steamed Fresh Rice Flour Rolls (Banh Cuon)

Name: Steamed Fresh Rice Flour Rolls (Banh Cuon)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons Crispy Fried Shallots , to garnish; __BLANK__; Filling; 2 tablespoons oil; 5 to 6 dried wood ear fungus, soaked in water until soft, sliced to yield about ½ cup; 4 tablespoons minced shallots (about 6 shallots); 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 cup (150 g) minced Carrot and Radish Pickles; 10 oz (300 g) ground pork or shrimp; Dipping Sauce; __BLANK__; 1 tablespoon sugar; ¼ cup (60 ml) water; 2 tablespoons fish sauce; 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice; 1 finger-length red chili, deseeded and minced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; __BLANK__; Fresh Rice Flour Wrappers; 1 cup (125 g) rice flour; 3 cups (750 ml) water; ½ teaspoon salt

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Cookbook

The Food of Vietnam: Easy-to-follow Recipes from the Country's Major Regions

Published by Tuttle Publishing

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Steamed Fresh Rice Flour Rolls Banh Cuon

This image courtesy of Heinz Von Holzen

Editor's Note: If your typical spread for a casual get-together with friends could use a bit of a boost, then you'll love including this recipe in your rotation of appetizer. These Steamed Fresh Rice Flour Rolls (Banh Cuon) will make for an impressive dish that everyone will love. You can opt to use ground pork or shrimp for this recipe, too.

This is where a little kitchen ingenuity helps. The making of fresh rice flour wrappers is actually quite simple and fun, once you master the method. This is another variation on the spring roll, using freshly steamed rice flour wrappers. To save time, you may buy the readymade rice paper wrappers instead of making your own for this recipe.

Makes10 rolls

Preparation Time30 min

Cooking Time20 min

Cooking MethodFrying

CostModerate

Total TimeUnder One Hour

Kid FriendlyYes

OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get Together

Recipe CourseAppetizer

EquipmentWok

MealSnack

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Crispy Fried Shallots, to garnish
Filling
2 tablespoons oil
5 to 6 dried wood ear fungus, soaked in water until soft, sliced to yield about ½ cup
4 tablespoons minced shallots (about 6 shallots)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup (150 g) minced Carrot and Radish Pickles
10 oz (300 g) ground pork or shrimp
Dipping Sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 finger-length red chili, deseeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh Rice Flour Wrappers
1 cup (125 g) rice flour
3 cups (750 ml) water
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Filling

Make the Filling first by heating the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat and stir-frying all the ingredients for about 10 minutes until tender and cooked. Remove and set aside.

Dipping Sauce

Combine the Dipping Sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.

Fresh Rice Flour Wrappers

To make the Fresh Rice Flour Wrappers, mix the ingredients well to form a smooth batter. Fill a steamer with water until ²⁄³ full and stretch a piece of cheesecloth very tightly over its top, securing it with a string.
Bring the water in the steamer to a boil and brush the cheesecloth with a little oil. In a circular motion, spread a small ladleful of the batter onto the cheesecloth, forming a thin, round layer of batter. Cover with a lid and steam the batter until set, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove by carefully lifting the wrapper from the corners with a spatula. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

Assembly

Place a Fresh Rice Flour Wrapper on a smooth surface and top with 1 heaping tablespoon of the Filling.
Wrap into a roll by folding one end of the wrapper over the Filling, then folding the sides and rolling up gently, taking care not to break the wrapper.
Repeat until all the Filling is used up.
Sprinkle the rolls with Crispy Fried Shallots and serve with a bowl of Dipping Sauce on the side.