Bánh bò men cơm rượu are small steamed rice cakes raised with cơm rượu, Vietnamese fermented rice wine. The flavour comes from the rice wine and coconut milk together. They’re an everyday cake but a well-loved one, especially on hot days when nobody feels like a proper meal, and they go well with a hot cup of tea. Plan ahead: the batter rests 12–14 minutes after mixing, then is checked for bubbles the next day, and later rests another 3–4 hours. Ingredients 300 g rice flour 60 g tapioca starch 200 g white sugar 200 ml fermented rice wine (cơm rượu), rice and liquid together 150 ml coconut juice 200 ml coconut milk ½ teaspoon salt Pandan water, for the green cakes A little oil, for the bowls To serve: a little of a roasted sesame, salt and sugar mixture. How to make bánh bò men cơm rượu 1. Mash and strain the rice wine Put the fermented rice wine in a bowl and mash it well with a spoon. Strain it to collect 200 ml of liquid, then mash the rice left behind well again. 2. Mix the batter and let it rest In a clean bowl, mix the tapioca starch, rice flour, salt and the rice wine from step 1 with a spoon. Slowly pour in the coconut juice, cover the bowl tightly with cling film and leave it for 12–14 minutes. The next day, the surface should be covered with a layer of small bubbles. That means the batter is ready. 3. Add the coconut milk and rest again Put the sugar and 200 ml coconut milk in a pan over low heat and cook until the sugar has melted. Let it cool, then pour it into the batter. Cover with cling film again and leave it for another 3–4 hours. Divide the batter between two bowls. Leave one as it is and stir pandan water into the other to turn it green. 4. Heat and oil the bowls Bring the water in your steamer to the boil and set small bowls or moulds inside. Once the water is at a hard boil, brush a little oil inside each bowl with a small brush. This step matters for getting good-looking cakes. 5. Fill and steam Spoon the batter slowly into each bowl and stop when each one is half full. The cakes rise as they steam and need the room. Cover the steamer and steam for 7–10 minutes. Push a toothpick into the centre of a cake: if it comes out dry, they’re done. 6. Serve Turn the cakes out of the small bowls and sprinkle the tops with a little of the roasted sesame, salt and sugar mixture. Share:
