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Bánh giò
Pork rice dumplings
Bánh giò: Hanoi pyramid rice dumplings with minced pork, wood ear and quail egg
On cold Hanoi mornings vendors cycle round the old quarter with a steaming basket of bánh giò, banana-leaf pyramids of soft, almost pudding-like rice dough around a filling of minced pork, wood ear mushroom and a quail egg. They are breakfast, a late-night bite after the bars, and something to grab at the station. The batter is cooked on the stove first so it can be spooned into the leaves, and the pork filling is fried through before the parcels are steamed. Chef's tip: stir the batter until it is as thick as soft mashed potato before wrapping; if it is still runny it leaks out of the cones and the dumplings collapse.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the filling
- 9 oz pork mincenot too lean
- ⅓ oz dried wood ear mushroomssoaked 20 minutes, finely chopped
- 3 shallotsfinely chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 8 quail eggsboiled 3 minutes and peeled
For the batter
- 7 oz rice flour
- 1 ⅜ oz tapioca starch
- 3 ¾ cups chicken or pork stockunsalted
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
To wrap
- 8 pieces banana leavescut into 30 cm squares, wiped and oiled
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Fry 3 shallots in 1 tbsp neutral oil over a medium heat until golden. Add 9 oz pork mince and ⅓ oz dried wood ear mushrooms and stir-fry, breaking up the meat, until the pork is cooked through with no pink and reaches 160°F.
7 minStep 2: Season with 1 ½ tbsp fish sauce and ½ tsp black pepper, cook 1 minute more until dry, then set aside.
1 minStep 3: Whisk 7 oz rice flour, 1 ⅜ oz tapioca starch, 1 tsp salt and 3 ¾ cups chicken or pork stock in a heavy pan until smooth.
3 minStep 4: Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the batter thickens to a soft, heavy paste that holds its shape on a spoon. Stir in 1 tbsp neutral oil and take it off the heat.
12 minStep 5: Roll a 8 pieces banana leaves square into a cone, spoon in 2 tbsp of batter, add a spoonful of filling and a 8 quail eggs, then cover with another 2 tbsp of batter.
4 minStep 6: Fold the top of the leaf over to close the pyramid and tie with string or kitchen twine. Repeat to make 8.
20 minStep 7: Steam the parcels upright over boiling water on a medium-high heat until the dough feels set and springy through the leaf.
30 minStep 8: Rest 5 minutes, then unwrap and eat warm with chilli sauce or a splash of fish sauce and pepper.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 245 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bánh giò take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- 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 dried wood ear mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
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