Vietnamese Recipe, Banh Cuon, Steamed Rolls

I cannot begging to explain how excited I used to be (and still am, if I’m completely honest) when my mom would make these steamed rolls. When I became vegan, she revamped her recipe, and it is so delicious! The vegan version has nothing to envy to the original one!

Here is what you need:

• 1 pack (400g) banh cuon mix (We buy Taiky Food brand; this is a mix of rice flour and tapioca starch)
• 2 tbs rice flour
• 1L water + 2tbs
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 cup dry black mushrooms
• 10 shallots ( 1 cup once shredded)
• 2 carrots
• 4 big king oyster mushrooms
• 1 tsp oil
• pepper to taste

Here is what you do:

1. Soak the black mushroom in water for two hours. Drain and wash to remove dirt and sand. Press to remove excess water.
2. Mix the flour mix, rice flour, salt and water. Let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. Shred the carrots; thinly slice the shallots, black mushrooms, and king oyster mushrooms. You should have between 1 cup and 1 1/2 cups of each.
4. In a large sauce pan, heat the oil and saute the shallots first. Once these are cooked, add the oyster mushrooms and carrots. Set on high heat so that the water evaporates. Add a pinch of salt and saute until all the water is gone. Add the black mushroom last with a little bit of pepper. Stir until everything is cooked. Taste and add salt if needed. Put aside.
5. Before you start making the crepes, set up 2 large plates next to the pan and put a thin layer of oil on both of them to avoid sticking. You can also keep some oil in a small bowl and use a brush to oil the pan. Keep your lid handy too.
6. Heat a non-stick pan to high heat. Give your dough a mix. The first few pancakes will be wonky as the pan is heating up. If the have holes, it means that your pan is too hot. Adjust the heat accordingly.
7. Cook your pancakes and transfer to your rolling station. Add 1 tbp of filling, fold the sides and roll.
   

   

   

   
   
   
8. Serve the cakes with steamed soy sprouts, fresh fragrant herbs, fried onions and vegan fish sauce.

These rolls are really good! They have a great texture. Adding the soy spouts and herbs really complete the dish.

Let me know if you try this out and what you think of it!

Wait! If you are wondering why these are called “steamed” cake, it is because the traditional way of making these does involve steam. This is the device used:

The idea is simple: you fill the bottom part with water and bring it to a boil. You pour the dough on the heated cotton membrane and cover up to steam. Finally you use the bamboo stick to pick up the crepe. Pretty cool, no?