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Bánh đúc with fermented soybean dip
Rice flour cake with soybean dip
Bánh đúc lạc chấm tương: soft-set northern rice flour cake with peanuts and a vegan tương dip
In the villages around Hanoi, women sell squares of pale, wobbly bánh đúc from shoulder baskets in the late afternoon, cut to order and eaten as a filling snack before dinner. The cake is nothing more than rice flour and water cooked to a thick, glossy paste and left to set, studded with boiled peanuts, so the flavour comes from what you dip it in. Northern stalls serve it with tương, a salty-sweet fermented soybean sauce, which keeps it fully vegan; in the city you will also find it warm under a minced pork and wood ear sauce. Chef's tip: stir without stopping once the batter starts to thicken; walk away for even a minute and it scorches on the base and turns lumpy.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 ⅞ oz raw peanutsskins rubbed off
- 7 oz rice flourplain, not glutinous
- 4 ½ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp neutral oilfor the tray
For the tương dip
- 4 tbsp fermented soybean pasteVietnamese tương bần or Thai tao jiew
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 red bird's-eye chillisliced
- 3 tbsp warm water
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Simmer 2 ⅞ oz raw peanuts in plenty of water over a medium heat until they are tender but still hold their shape when bitten. Drain.
20 minStep 2: Brush a 20 cm square tin with 1 tbsp neutral oil.
1 minStep 3: Whisk 7 oz rice flour, 1 tsp salt and 4 ½ cups water in a heavy pan until completely smooth, with no dry lumps on the whisk.
3 minStep 4: Set the pan over a medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the base and corners. After about 8 minutes the batter turns from milky to thick and slightly translucent.
10 minStep 5: Keep stirring over a low heat until the paste is very thick, glossy and pulls away from the pan as one mass; a spoonful dropped on a plate should hold its shape. Fold in the drained peanuts.
8 minStep 6: Scrape the paste into the oiled tin, smooth the top with a wet spatula and leave to cool and set at room temperature for at least 1 hour, until it is firm enough to slice cleanly.
60 minStep 7: For the dip, stir 4 tbsp fermented soybean paste with 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp lime juice and 3 tbsp warm water until the sugar dissolves, then add 2 cloves garlic and 1 red bird's-eye chilli. Taste: it should be salty first, then sweet and sharp.
3 minStep 8: Cut the cake into 5 cm squares with an oiled knife and serve at room temperature with small bowls of the dip for spooning over.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bánh đúc with fermented soybean dip take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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