Bánh đúc with coconut milk and ground pork (bánh đúc nước cốt dừa với thịt xay) is a childhood favourite of the author, whose mom often made it for breakfast. Bánh đúc has no English name. The author describes it as one of the best cakes of central Vietnam, made from non-glutinous rice flour or corn flour, white and soft. Here the batter is steamed in layers and topped with a pork, shrimp and mushroom filling, and the cake is eaten with a dipping sauce. Ingredients For the cake 140 g rice flour 20 g tapioca flour 1 teaspoon salt 350 ml water 150–200 ml coconut milk 10 ml vegetable oil For the filling 150 g ground pork meat 100 g fresh shrimp 1–2 jelly ear mushrooms 7 shiitake mushrooms ½ onion, peeled and sliced small Fish sauce, pepper Vietnamese mint, scallion, coriander Minced garlic, chili and shallot For the dipping sauce 1 bowl coconut juice 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon lime juice 1–2 tablespoons fish sauce Minced garlic and chili Mix everything for the sauce together and season it to suit your taste. How to make bánh đúc with coconut milk and ground pork 1. Mix the filling Clean the shrimp, peel them and chop them into small pieces. Soak the jelly ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms in cold water for 10–15 minutes, then cut off the roots and slice them small. Mix the ground pork, chopped shrimp, sliced mushrooms, sliced onion, 2 teaspoons fish sauce and 1 teaspoon pepper together. Leave it for about 15–20 minutes. 2. Fry the filling Heat oil in a pan and fry the minced garlic and shallot until fragrant. Add the pork mixture and fry for about 5–7 minutes. Then add the minced chili and scallion and mix well. 3. Make the batter Mix the rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, water, coconut milk and vegetable oil together. Stir well and leave it for about 20 minutes before steaming. 4. Steam the cake in layers This is the important step. Spread oil around the mould. Make sure the steaming pot is already hot. Pour 1 spoon of the batter into the mould and steam it for a few minutes. When that layer is cooked, pour another spoon on top, and repeat until all the batter is used. 5. Add the topping and finish Spread the fried filling over the cake, cover the pot and steam for 3–4 minutes more. Make sure the water in the steamer doesn’t run dry. Slice the cake into small pieces before eating. Eat it with the dipping sauce, Vietnamese mint and fried pork skin, and add more satay if you love spicy food. Share:
