Banh cuon
Bánh cuốn: Hanoi's silky steamed rice rolls with pork and wood-ear mushroom
In Hanoi, banh cuon shops open early, and the cook sits beside a pot of boiling water stretched over with cloth, spreading batter across it in one sweep and lifting off sheets thin enough to see through. Each sheet is rolled around a little minced pork and crunchy wood-ear mushroom, cut into pieces, showered with crispy shallots and dipped into warm fish sauce. Slices of Vietnamese pork roll and a sprig of herbs often come on the side. At home a lidded non-stick frying pan does the job of the cloth, and once you find the rhythm the sheets come quickly. Chef's tip: make a practice sheet first; the first one is almost always a little too thick, and it tells you how much batter to use.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
For the filling
For the crispy shallots
For the dipping sauce
To serve
Method
0/10 doneStep 1: Whisk the 7 oz rice flour, 1 oz tapioca starch, ½ tsp salt and 2 ½ cups water into a smooth, thin batter, about the consistency of single cream. Stir in 1 tbsp of the 1 tbsp vegetable oil and leave to rest for 20 minutes so the flour hydrates.
20 minStep 2: Meanwhile soak the ⅓ oz dried wood-ear mushrooms in hot water for 15 minutes until soft and doubled in size. Drain, trim off any hard knobs and chop finely.
15 minStep 3: Put the 4 shallots and ½ cup vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Fry, stirring often, until pale golden, then tip into a sieve set over a bowl; they keep crisping as they cool. Keep the shallot oil for brushing.
8 minStep 4: Heat 1 tbsp of the shallot oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat and soften the 1 shallot for 1 minute. Add the 9 oz pork mince and break it up, then add the chopped wood ear, 1 tbsp fish sauce, ½ tsp caster sugar and ½ tsp black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the pork is no longer pink and reaches 160°F/160 °F, with no liquid left in the pan. Tip into a bowl.
6 minStep 5: For the dip, stir the 3 tbsp caster sugar into the ¾ cup warm water until dissolved, then add the 4 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 clove garlic and 1 red chilli.
Step 6: Brush a large tray or chopping board with the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Heat a 24–26 cm non-stick frying pan with a lid over a medium heat and wipe it with a little shallot oil.
Step 7: Stir the batter well, because the flour sinks quickly. Pour in about 3 tbsp and swirl at once to coat the base in a very thin layer. Common mistake: too much batter. The rolls turn thick and gummy; a good sheet is so thin you can see the pan through it.
Step 8: Cover with the lid and cook for 30–45 seconds, until the sheet turns from white to translucent and the edges lift slightly. Don't let it brown.
1 minStep 9: Turn the pan upside down over the oiled tray so the sheet drops out; ease it with a silicone spatula if needed. Spoon a line of filling along one edge and roll it up loosely. Repeat with the rest of the batter, stirring each time, to make about 16 rolls.
20 minStep 10: Cut the rolls in half, arrange on plates and scatter over the crispy shallots with a drizzle of shallot oil. Serve warm with the dipping sauce, ⅔ oz mint and coriander, ½ cucumber, 5 ½ oz Vietnamese pork roll (chả lụa) and 3 ½ oz bean sprouts, blanched.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does banh cuon take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of dried wood-ear mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of shallot?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
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