“Bánh” is one of those funny Vietnamese words that don’t have a clear definition and is difficult to translate. They mainly refer to cake-like foods made with flour: Cakes, breads, pastries, and buns are all bánh. But other non-cake-like foods are also called bánh, including several types of noodles like bánh phở, bánh đa, bánh canh; and even our dish today- a bowl of cooked rice flour. Even more funny is that some non-food objects like a wheel or a bar of soap are also be called bánh. But I digress…

If you’ve never tried it, ‘sticky pudding’ might be the best description of the texture of this dish. It’s somewhat similar, but less dense than cassava fufu! Bánh đúc nóng is a delicious warm rice flour pudding typically topped with minced pork, mushrooms, crispy fried shallots, green onions, and a sweet/sour/savory sauce. You can find this dish at little street stalls in Vietnam, especially in Hà Nội. It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or at any time you desire for that matter.

Nothing beats sitting on a little plastic stool on the side of the road, in front of a ping hot bowl of bánh đúc nóng on a cold winter day. But until you can visit Vietnam and experience this for yourself, bring a little taste of Hà Nội to your kitchen with our recipe!

Fun fact: there’s another version of bánh đúc with peanuts that is a bit more like a cake eaten cold!

INGREDIENTS FOR BÁNH ĐÚC NÓNG

• Rice flour – Bột gạo tẻ: Regular/non-glutinous rice flour. The main ingredient in hundreds of other “rice cakes” that we have in Vietnamese cuisine. It is naturally gluten free. For other recipes with rice flour, click HERE.
• Tapioca starch – Bột năng: A gluten-free starch that comes from the cassava plant. It can be used to thicken soups, stews and sauces; coat foods for frying; or add bounce/chewiness to a dough. For recipes with tapioca starch, click HERE.
• Wood-ear mushrooms – Nấm mộc nhĩ/nấm tai mèo: They don’t bring too much in terms of flavors, but texturally, they are irreplaceable. Crunchy and a bit chewy, wood-ear mushrooms add textural interest, especially to a meaty filling, which is why the trio of wood-ear, shiitake, and minced pork is such a common filling found in many dishes. For recipes with wood-ear mushrooms, click HERE.
• Shiitake mushrooms – Nấm đông cô/nấm hương: These incredibly fragrant mushrooms are a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. Commonly paired with wood-ear mushrooms, this dynamic duo is in more Vietnamese dishes than I can count. For recipes with shiitake mushrooms, click HERE.
• Ground pork – Thịt heo xay/thịt heo băm: I like choosing ground pork that is not too lean. The fat is where flavor lives!
• Shallot – Hành khô/hành tím
• Garlic – Tỏi
• Green onion – Hành lá
• Cilantro – Ngò rí/rau mùi
• Bird’s eye chili – Ớt hiểm
• Fish sauce – Nước mắm: arguably the most important seasoning sauce in Vietnamese cuisine. Made from fermented anchovies, it is salty and incredibly umami. Non-vegan Vietnamese recipes without fish sauce are very rare. The best nước mắm comes from Phú Quốc or surrounding islands off the coast- Southwest of mainland Vietnam. Our favorite brand available outside of Vietnam is Red Boat (U.S.).
• Bouillon – Hạt nêm: think broth, but in solid form. Bouillon is an amazingly easy way to bring that umami flavor to your food. We use it instead of salt in many of our dishes. You can usually find chicken, pork, or mushroom bouillon. In Vietnam, Knorr is the most common brand. However, we have only been able to find Knorr in powder form in the US and France, not granules. Instead, we use Totole brand chicken or mushroom bouillon. The quantities on our website are based on the granule-type so if you use powder, adjust to your taste.
• Salt – Muối
• White granulated sugar – Đường cát trắng
• Rice/white vinegar – Giấm gạo/giấm trắng
• Ground black pepper – Tiêu đen xay
• Chili oil and/or sriracha – Dầu ớt và/hoặc sriracha
• Vegetable oil – Dầu thực vật
• Toasted sesame oil – Dầu mè rang

DIRECTIONS FOR BÁNH ĐÚC NÓNG

Make the batter

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the rice flour, tapioca flour, water, and salt (NOT the oils) until all the flour has dissolved. Pour batter through a strainer into a pot.
   A pot with a thick bottom is best, to avoid the scorching the batter.
2. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes to allow flour to fully soak up the water.

Prep other ingredients

1. Rehydrate the mushrooms by soaking in hot water. Finely chop.
2. Mix together the minced pork, mushrooms, fish sauce, and bouillon powder. Set aside.
3. Thinly slice shallots. Divide in halves- one will be to sauté with the pork topping, the other will be for making crispy fried shallot.
4. If you’re using pre-made fried shallot for toppings, you’ll only need half the amount of shallot called for in the recipe, just for the pork.
5. Chop the green onion and cilantro. Set aside for assembly.
6. Mince garlic.
7. Slice bird’s eye chili(s) if using.

Make crispy fried shallots (skip if using pre-made)

1. Add shallot and oil to a cold sauce pan.
2. Turn heat to medium (5/10).
3. Fry the shallot, stirring continuously for about 4 minutes, until you start seeing the first bits turn golden.
4. Reduce heat to low (2/10) and continue frying until most of the shallot has turned lightly golden. NOTE: pull the shallot earlier than you think you should, it can burn quickly.
5. Pour over a strainer placed over a bowl.
6. Pour shallot on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside for assembly.
7. Save this super fragrant shallot oil in a clean jar. We’ll use a bit of it to sauté the pork. The rest, you can use add extra flavors to whatever you cook!

Cook bánh đúc

1. Heat the pot on high (8/10), stirring with chopsticks or spatula continuously. When the batter starts to thicken- after about 2-4 minutes, reduce heat to low (2/10).
2. Continue cooking and stirring until the dough becomes translucent around the edges (about 3-5 minutes).
3. Add in the vegetable and sesame oils. Mix well to combine.
4. Turn the stove to the lowest setting and cover with a lid until you are ready to serve.

Cook pork topping

1. Heat a pan over medium and add 1 tbsp of oil. If you made fried shallots, use the shallot oil. If not, use regular vegetable oil.
2. Add sliced shallot and sauté until soft, about 30 seconds.
3. Add the pork/mushroom mixture and sauté, breaking up the chunks of meat, until pork is no longer pink- about 5 minutes.
4. Add ground black pepper and stir to combine.
5. Set aside, cover, and keep warm until ready to serve.

Make the sauce

1. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, warm water, fish sauce, and vinegar until sugar has dissolved.
2. Add in minced garlic and sliced bird’s eye chili.

Assemble a bowl

1. Spoon the warm bánh đúc into a bowl.
2. Top with minced pork/mushroom mixture, green onion, cilantro, and fried shallot.
3. Pour sauce over the top, drizzle on some chili oil and/or sriracha, and serve immediately!

Storage

You can store cooked bánh đúc in the fridge by oiling a (preferably ceramic or glass) container before adding in the bánh đúc, making sure that there are no air bubbles. Cut a piece of parchment paper to the approximate size of the container, oil it lightly, and place the oil side down on the bánh đúc, again making sure there are no air bubbles. Close the container with a tight lid and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To reheat, either:
Add the bánh đúc to a pot on medium low heat, stirring continuously until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes (depending on the amount).
– In a microwave-safe container, microwave the bánh đúc (with the parchment paper) for 1 minute at a time, mixing well in between, until everything is warmed through.

RECIPE VIDEO