Banh Cuon (Vietnamese steamed rice roll) is made up of thin sheets of steamed rice batter filled with ground pork, jicama and wood ear mushrooms. The rice rolls get a glaze of scallion oil and a sprinkle of crispy fried shallots, then served on a bed of fresh thinly sliced cumbers, chopped lettuce, Vietnamese herbs, balanced coriander and slices of Vietnamese sausage.
All of this is served with a side of Vietnamese dipping sauce. Traditionally, the rice batter is cooked by spreading a thin layer on top of a cloth that is stretched over a water bath. If you wish to learn to make Banh cuon, like many of our customers on our Day in the Life of Hanoian tour, this recipe will help you make some at home.
INGREDIENTS FOR FOUR
Batter
- 1 lb of rice flour
- 1 lb of tapioca flour
- 1 tsp of salt
- 3 qt of water
Meat Filling
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 cup of wood ear mushrooms
- 1 small onion
- 1 shallot
- 1 tbsp of fish sauce
- 1 tbsp of cooking oil
- 1 tsp of pepper
Accompaniments
- Vietnamese sausage
- 10 oz of bean sprouts
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 cup of fish sauce
- 1 tbsp of sugar
Steps
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 lb of rice flour with 1 lb of tapioca flour. Add 1 tsp of salt. Mix evenly. While mixing, pour in 1 at of water slowly. Mix until there are no clumps. In a small bowl, soak 1 cup of wood ear mushrooms. After 20 min, drain the mushrooms and mince. Mince 1 shallot and 1 small onion.
- In a pan on medium heat, add 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Add the minced shallots and onions. As the shallots and onions turn yellow, add 1 lb of ground pork.
- Stir fry while adding 1 tbsp of fish sauce slowly. After the pork is cooked, drain the excess liquid and season with 2 tsp of pepper. Transfer to a small bowl and add the minced wood ear mushroom. Set aside.
- Heat a large nonstick pan to medium high heat. Brush a light layer of oil onto the pan. Pour about ½ cup of batter into the pan to create an even coat. Depending on how thin you like your steamed rice rolls, adjust your batter amount. Cover for 30 seconds to let the batter become transparent.
- Flip your crepe onto a cutting board. Add 2 tbsp of the filling and spread evenly. Fold the sides and place on a plate. Repeat until batter and filling are done.
- In a small pot, boil 5 cups of water. Once boiling, add 10 oz of bean sprouts. Quickly take the bean sprouts out and let dry. Set aside.
- Julienne 1 medium sized cucumber and mix with the cooked bean sprouts. Slice the 1 roll of the Vietnamese ham roll into thin slices. Slice these into halves. On the serving plate, place a few steamed rice rolls on the plate along side the veggies and sliced Vietnamese ham.
- For the sauce, mix 1 cup of fish sauce, 1 tbsp of sugar, and ½ cup of boiling water. Stir well and add chilling peppers as desired.
There you go, add some corianders for more flavors. We hope you enjoy cooking Vietnamese steamed rice rolls at home, and please contact us if there is anything we can help.
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