Vietnamese Steamed Rice Cakes (Banh Beo)

About This Recipe

Banh beo are small, saucer-shaped steamed rice cakes from central Vietnam, traditionally steamed in individual small dishes so each cake has a slight depression in the center to hold its savory toppings — dried shrimp, crispy pork skin, or scallion oil, all finished with a drizzle of sweet-savory fish sauce dipping sauce. Getting the rice batter thin enough is important; too thick and the cakes turn dense rather than delicate, while too thin and they won't hold together when unmolded.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 cuprice flour
• 2 tbsptapioca starch
• 2.5 cupswater
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt
• 1 tbspvegetable oil
• 100 gdried shrimp(soaked and finely ground)
• 0.5 cupfried shallots
• 0.25 cupscallion oil
• 0.5 cupnuoc cham(for topping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Whisk rice flour, tapioca starch, water, salt, and oil together until completely smooth with no lumps.

2. 2

   Prepare the steaming dishes

   Lightly oil small, shallow steaming dishes or ramekins.

3. 3

   Steam the cakes

   Pour a thin layer of batter, about 5mm, into each dish. Steam over boiling water for 8-10 minutes until set and slightly translucent.

   Steam in batches if you don't have enough dishes, keeping the batter well-stirred between batches since it settles.

4. 4

   Cool and unmold

   Let the cakes cool slightly, then gently unmold each one, keeping their characteristic saucer shape.

5. 5

   Prepare the toppings

   Sauté the ground dried shrimp briefly in a little oil until fragrant.

6. 6

   Assemble and serve

   Top each cake with dried shrimp, fried shallots, and a drizzle of scallion oil. Serve with nuoc cham for spooning over the top.

Variations

• •

  Top with crispy pork rinds (bi) instead of dried shrimp for a different traditional topping.

• •

  Add mung bean paste for extra richness in some regional versions.

• •

  Make a larger batch and serve as a shareable party appetizer.

Storage

Best eaten fresh and warm the day they're made; refrigerated cakes turn firm and lose their delicate texture.

Frequently Asked Questions