Ingredients
Batter
- 200 grice flour
- 50 gtapioca starch
- 700 mlwater
- 1/2 teaspoonsalt
- 1 tablespoonoil
Shrimp floss
- 100 gdried shrimp
- 1/2 teaspoonsalt
- 1 teaspoonsugar
- a pinch of paprika, for colour
Scallion oil
- 6spring onions, finely sliced
- 4 tablespoonsneutral oil
- a pinch of salt
Nuoc cham
- 4 tablespoonsfish sauce
- 4 tablespoonssugar
- 6 tablespoonswarm water
- juice of 2 limes
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 1chilli, sliced
To finish
- crisp fried pork rind or croutons
- fried shallots
Equipment
- small shallow saucers or a mini muffin tray
- a large steamer
Directions
- Whisk the rice flour and tapioca starch together. Add the water gradually while whisking. Add the salt and the oil as well. The batter should be very thin, like milk. Strain it through a sieve to catch lumps.
- Cover it and let it stand for at least an hour. Two hours or overnight is better. Whisk the batter thoroughly before using it. Making the shrimp floss takes some patience.
- Soak the dried shrimp in warm water for twenty minutes. Drain them and squeeze out the water. Pound or blitz them into coarse fluffy shreds. Do not turn them into a paste. Put them in a dry pan over a low heat. Stir them constantly as they dry out. This takes about fifteen minutes of steady work. Add the salt, sugar and a pinch of paprika.
- Keep stirring until they are completely dry. Making the scallion oil takes two minutes. Put the sliced spring onions in a heatproof bowl. Heat the oil until it just begins to shimmer. Pour it over the spring onions. Add a pinch of salt and stir it through. Do not heat the oil until it smokes. Add the fish sauce and the lime juice. Stir in the garlic and the chilli.
- Taste it and balance the salt, sweet and sour. It should be light rather than intensely salty. Set up a large steamer with plenty of water. Oil the saucers or the muffin tray lightly. Heat them in the steamer for two minutes first. Hot dishes give a much better set. Whisk the batter well and pour it into the dishes.
- Fill each one only about half a centimetre deep. Thin discs are the point of banh beo. Cover the steamer and steam them for four minutes. The centre should sink into a shallow dimple.
- Lift the dishes out and let them cool a moment. Steam the next batch while these rest. Working in batches takes some time. Spoon shrimp floss into each dimple. Scatter crisp pork rind and fried shallots. Spoon a little nuoc cham over each one. Eat them immediately while they are warm. Arrange them in rows and top them the same way.
Technique
- Banh beo belongs to a family of Hue steamed rice cakes that includes banh nam, banh bot loc and banh ram it.
- They are typically served together as a spread of small dishes.
Substitutions
- Cornflour can replace tapioca starch, though the chew is slightly different.
- Crisp fried croutons stand in for pork rind for a version without pork.
Variations
- Some southern versions use mung bean paste as well as shrimp.
- A vegetarian version tops the discs with fried mushroom and scallion oil.
- Banh beo in Da Nang and Saigon are usually larger and served on a plate.
Frequently asked questions
What is Banh Beo?
Banh Beo is a snack from Vietnam: hue steamed rice discs topped with dried shrimp and scallion oil.
How long does Banh Beo take to make?
Banh Beo takes 30 minutes plus resting of preparation and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 30 discs. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Banh Beo?
Yes, within limits. Cornflour can replace tapioca starch, though the chew is slightly different. Crisp fried croutons stand in for pork rind for a version without pork.
What is the most important thing to get right in Banh Beo?
Soak the dried shrimp in warm water for twenty minutes. Drain them and squeeze out the water. Pound or blitz them into coarse fluffy shreds. Do not turn them into a paste. Put them in a dry pan over a low heat. Stir them constantly as they dry out. This takes about fifteen minutes of steady work. Add the salt, sugar and a pinch of paprika.
