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Banh can
Bánh căn: Da Lat and Phan Rang little rice cakes baked in clay moulds with egg, spring onion oil and dipping sauce
Bánh căn comes from Phan Rang on the south-central coast and is now a favourite of chilly evenings in Da Lat, where sellers crouch over charcoal and rows of small clay moulds, cracking a quail egg into each little cup of rice batter. The cakes come out crisp and browned underneath and soft and steamy on top, and are eaten in pairs, dunked in a sweet-sour dipping sauce with shredded green mango and herbs. Most stalls use a fish sauce dip and sometimes add squid or shrimp; this version keeps it vegetarian with a tamari sauce and spring onion oil. Chef's tip: let a little of the cooked rice in the batter go into the blender; it gives the cakes their soft, slightly chewy middle.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the batter
For the spring onion oil
For the dipping sauce
To serve
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Blend 7 oz rice flour, 2 ⅛ oz cooked white rice, 1 ½ cups water and ¾ tsp salt for 1 minute until completely smooth and as thin as single cream. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Stir 3 tbsp tamari, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp lime juice, 6 tbsp water, 1 clove garlic and 1 red chilli until the sugar dissolves. Taste: it should be sweet, sour and salty in equal measure.
Step 3: Put 4 spring onions in a heatproof bowl. Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat until it shimmers, then pour it over the spring onion; it should sizzle and turn bright green. Stir in a pinch of salt.
Step 4: Heat a bánh căn clay mould, or a cast-iron takoyaki or aebleskiver pan, over a medium-high heat for 5 minutes until very hot. Brush each cup with 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Common mistake: a lukewarm pan; the batter sticks and won't form a crisp base.
5 minStep 5: Stir the batter (the flour settles) and pour about 2 tbsp into each cup, or two-thirds full. It should hiss. Cover the pan with a lid or a baking tray and cook for 1 minute.
Step 6: Crack a quail egg (18 quail eggs) into the centre of each cake, or spoon in 1 tsp beaten hen egg. Cover again and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the egg is set and the bottoms are golden brown and lift out easily with a spoon. Spoon out and repeat with the rest of the batter.
20 minStep 7: Brush the tops with spring onion oil and serve straight away, two cakes stacked face to face, with the dipping sauce, ½ green mango and 1 handful mixed herbs (mint, perilla, lettuce).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 21 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does banh can take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of cooked white rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of quail eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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