Ingredients
Batter
- 100 grice flour
- 30 gmung bean flour
- 20 garrowroot or tapioca flour
- 1egg yolk
- 150 mllimewater, or plain water
- 1 tbspcaster sugar
- 1/4 tspsalt
Meringue cream
- 2egg whites
- 100 gcaster sugar
- 1/4 tspcream of tartar
- 1 tbspcoconut cream
Sweet topping
- foi thong, golden egg threads, or shredded sweetened coconut
Savoury topping
- 80 gdried shrimp, pounded fine
- 50 gshredded fresh coconut
- 2 tbspcaster sugar
- 1 tbspfish sauce
- chopped coriander
Equipment
- a flat heavy griddle
- a small offset spatula
Directions
- Sift the rice flour, mung bean flour and arrowroot together. Rice flour alone gives a shell that softens within minutes. Whisk in the egg yolk, sugar and salt. Add the water gradually, whisking, until it is completely smooth. The batter should be thin, like single cream.
- Strain it through a sieve to catch any lumps. Let it rest for thirty minutes before using. Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar to soft peaks. Add the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking after each.
- Keep whisking until it is thick, glossy and holds a stiff peak. Fold in the coconut cream at the very end. It should be firm enough to pipe or spoon without spreading. Keep it cool and use it within an hour. Pound the dried shrimp to a fine floss in a mortar. Toast the shredded coconut in a dry pan until pale gold.
- Mix the shrimp and coconut with the sugar and fish sauce. It should taste sweet, salty and savoury all at once. Heat a flat heavy griddle over a low to medium heat. It must not be greased, since oil stops the shell setting properly.
- Dip the offset spatula in the batter. Spread a thin circle onto the griddle in one sweeping motion. Make it about eight centimetres across and as thin as you can. Do not go back over the middle, since that thickens it.
- Let it cook undisturbed for about a minute. The surface should look dry and matte rather than wet. Lay the topping over the cream. Use foi thong for the sweet version or the shrimp mixture for the savoury. Now folding, which needs to happen at the right moment.
- Lift it and fold it over the filling into a half-moon. Wait too long and it will crack instead of folding. Press the fold very lightly so it holds. Lift it off the griddle onto a rack. Stand them on a rack rather than laying them flat. They crisp fully as they cool, over about two minutes. Serve them within an hour, since the shells soften in humid air.
Technique
- The mixture of rice, mung bean and arrowroot flours is what makes the shell snap.
- Do not grease the griddle, since oil stops the shell setting.
- Fold while the shell is still flexible, or it will crack.
Substitutions
- Sweetened shredded coconut in place of foi thong.
- Plain water in place of limewater.
Variations
- Sweet, with foi thong golden egg threads.
- Savoury, with dried shrimp and coconut.
- Khanom buang yuan, the larger Vietnamese-influenced version.
History
Court dessert of the Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin eras; the golden egg-yolk threads reflect Portuguese sweets brought to Siam in the seventeenth century.
Frequently asked questions
What is Khanom Buang?
Khanom Buang is a dessert from Thailand: crisp folded rice-flour taco filled with meringue and golden egg threads or coconut. Court dessert of the Ayutthaya and Rattanakosin eras; the golden egg-yolk threads reflect Portuguese sweets brought to Siam in the seventeenth century.
How long does Khanom Buang take to make?
Khanom Buang takes 40 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 20 pieces. It is rated hard to make.
What can I substitute in Khanom Buang?
Yes, within limits. Sweetened shredded coconut in place of foi thong. Plain water in place of limewater.
What is the most important thing to get right in Khanom Buang?
Mix the shrimp and coconut with the sugar and fish sauce. It should taste sweet, salty and savoury all at once. Heat a flat heavy griddle over a low to medium heat. It must not be greased, since oil stops the shell setting properly.
