One of the few dishes compliments the change of seasons and makes the perfect snack on breezy afternoons is banh duc nong – an amazing Vietnamese “fast food” that not everyone is familiar with. Originated in Northern Vietnam, banh duc nong is a thick and savory glutinous rice “porridge” with a balance of distinct flavors. Nowadays, banh duc nong is served all over the country with some unique twists. For example, in Southern Vietnam, banh duc la dua (pandan glutinous rice “porridge” served with caramel flavored ginger syrup) is the dessert version of banh duc nong, which is unique in its own way.
Banh duc is one of the most important ingredients of this dish, and perfecting the art of making it is not easy. Banh duc is made from glutinous rice flour, it has a soft texture (close to the texture of melted cheese) and mild in flavor (slight sweet and tender). The reason why it is so difficult to master at perfecting banh duc is because the rice flour to water ratio should be perfect in order to get that satisfying “melt-in-the-mouth” texture. In other words, banh duc should be substantial enough to be enjoyed by itself. And I am telling you all, Hanoians are picky eaters and tough food critics!
In the North, banh duc is typically served with savory ingredients including ground pork, wood ear mushrooms, broth-like fish sauce, fried shallots and garnished with some fresh herbs. The toppings are usually added right before serving to prevent everything from getting soggy and mushy. Needless to say, each bite is a harmonious blend of textures and flavors. The fried shallots add some extra crunch which balances out the soft texture of banh duc, while fresh herbs add the freshness kick to balance out the savory flavors. Just delightful!
Before we get started, let’s take some mental notes!
In this recipe, I use a mixture of rice flour (bot gao), glutinous rice flour (bot gao nep), and tapioca starch (bot nang). People often misunderstood that rice flour and glutinous rice flour are the same. However, they are actually very different since rice flour is ground from long-grain white rice while glutinous rice flour (gao te) is ground from short-grain sweet white rice (gao nep). Glutinous rice flour will give our banh duc its bouncy, sticky and glutinous texture and consistency. In Vietnam, a lot of banh duc nong vendors use borax (han the) to give banh duc its signature chewy texture. Borax also acts as a preservative to keep banh duc fresher for a longer period of time. However, I figured tapioca starch is a much better and healthier alternative while still giving banh duc its chewy and melty consistency.
As I mentioned earlier, it is very important get the perfect flour to water ratio. To make this recipe as foolproof as possible, please use a scale to measure the ingredients. The measured ingredients should be very precise and accurate, otherwise, your banh duc won’t have that satisfying “melt-in-the-mouth” texture.
Since it is called banh duc nong, the dish should be served warm. I highly recommend you warm your light fish sauce up before serving. I usually make my sauce in a medium saucepan and have it over very low heat to keep it warm and delicious. I guarantee that this trick will elevate your dish to the next level!
Without any further or due, let’s get started, shall we? We shall!
Serving: 4 people
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients:
For banh duc
· 160 grams rice flour
· 40 grams glutinous rice flour
· 100 grams tapioca starch
· 1.4 liters of water
· 20 ml vegetable oil
For the topping
· Minced shallots and garlic
· 350 grams minced pork
· 20 grams wood ear mushroom
· 1 tbs of fish sauce
· 1 tbs of oyster sauce
· 1 tsp chicken stock powder
· Ground pepper
For the fish sauce and garnishing
· 400ml water
· 60 grams sugar
· 40ml fish sauce
· Minced garlic and chilies
· Rice vinegar to taste
· Fried shallots
· Cilantros
Let’s get cooking!
1. Preparing the savory toppings
Heat your pan on medium to high heat. Add 1 tbsp of vegetable oil to the pan and sauté our minced shallots and garlic until fragrant. Then add minced pork and stir fry until our meat is perfectly cooked. Lower the heat and add mushrooms and other seasonings. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Deep fry thinly sliced shallots until golden brown and set aside.
2. Making the sauce
Stir the sugar in warm water until completely dissolved. Add fish sauce and we are done with our dipping sauce. The vinegar and minced garlic will be added right before serving.
3. Making banh duc
Combine together rice flour, glutinous rice flour, and tapioca starch in a pot. Add water and stir well until dissolve. Put the pot on the stove top under low-medium heat and constantly stirring until the mixture becomes thick and slightly gelated. Add the vegetable oil and keep stirring until our banh duc turns transparent. Turn off the heat and our banh duc is now ready to be served.
4. Serving banh duc
Scoop banh duc to our serving bowl. Top our banh duc with the prepared toppings, fried shallots, minced garlic and fresh herbs. It’s time enjoy!
Bon Appetit, everyone!
Comments