Bì Chay (Vegetarian Shredded Pork)

Get ready for the most exciting crunch with our homemade Bì Chay! You won’t find a Vegetarian Shredded Pork like this ANYWHERE on the world wide web. We spend a little more time frying all the vegetable threads, but it’s well worth it when everything comes out shatteringly crisp. Then mix well for the flavors to come alive!

Check out our Bì Cuốn recipe to find out where this dish is inspired from!

A well-loved family dish

I’m SO excited about sharing this Bì Chay recipe. It’s one that Mum speaks very fondly of because she remembers how Grandma and Aunty make it the best (her exact words)! After trying their recipe out, I can say with certainty that she’s right.

It’s just incredible. As you fold the ingredients with each other, you can HEAR just how crispy it is. Each vegetable thread holds its flavor and shape perfectly because it gets sealed in hot oil.

You’ll also get a kick of sweet and savory flavors layered with so much crunch that you’ll feel the sensations down to your toes!

But it doesn’t end there.

Turn it into an ultra satisfying Bún Chay (Vegetarian Noodle Salad) loaded with the works – fresh herbs, pan-seared tofu, piping hot Chả Giò (Spring Rolls) and vegan Vietnamese dressing (Nước Mắm) made by substituting the fish sauce with a vegan option.

Just thinking about how to use our latest batch of Bì Chay has my mouth watering!

The best way to shred the vegetables

We love using our Vietnamese julienne peeler to get the result we’re after. To buy these, try your local Asian supermarket or bargain store. They have a front section that rotates for both left and right handers.

If you can’t find it, use a mandoline julienne with the thinnest setting. What you want to do is start from the top of the vegetables and pull the tool down to the bottom until you have thin long strips.

As a last resort, using a knife will work too. Just make sure to cut everything as thin and long as you can. This will give you a delicate and light Bì Chay!

Why this recipe works

• The grains are toasted to bring out a fragrantly smoky aroma.
• Deep frying everything means each bite is filled with a satisfyingly crunchy texture.
• Taro is the main ingredient, which adds a robust nuttiness to our homemade Bì Chay.

What you’ll need

About the ingredients

We get the ham from specialty Asian vegetarian shops in the freezer section. If you can’t find any, just skip it altogether or use fried tofu. Alternatively, use both.

Fried bean curd sheets and green bean threads can be found in Asian supermarkets in plastic packets. Make sure that you get the dried versions of both.

Mum likes to use brown rice for the rice powder, but white rice grains will work too.

If you can’t find the purple sweet potato, use whichever you can find or leave it out.

The ratio of each vegetable in Bì Chay is entirely up to you. You can use more of you favorite ones depending on the flavors you prefer.

How to make this recipe

Toast the grains on low heat for 15 minutes or until they become golden brown, then let it cool for 10 minutes.

Grind the grains until they become a fine powder.

Note: If you can’t grind your own grains for Bì Chay, you can buy them already ground from Asian supermarkets. They will be in packets labelled as ‘roasted rice powder’.

Shred all the vegetables into thin strips, setting each type apart from each other.

Note: We do this because it makes it easier when frying. Each vegetable has a different cooking time, so it’s important to cook them all separately.

Slice the ham 1cm (0.4″) thick.

Pour 1/2 US cup oil in a pan or pot and fry the ham on high heat for 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Take them out and place on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

Using the same oil, carefully place one bean curd sheet in flat. It will immediately bubble and you can remove it as is. It comes out soft but will crisp up as it cools. Repeat this for all the sheets, then add the green bean threads in.

Just like the sheets, they will puff up as soon as they touch hot oil. Remove from the oil when it has puffed.

Note: Make sure to separate the green bean thread so it’s not in a ball. The flatter it is, the easier it is for each strand to puff.

Pour in the remaining oil and bring it to a high heat. Carefully put a handful of each vegetable in to fry at a time. Use a spider ladle to scoop them out when cooked, placing each batch on a plate lined with paper towels.

Pro Tip: Spread the vegetables out on the surface of the pot so they cook evenly and don’t clump together. Carrots, sweet potato and jicama will take about 50 seconds to cook while taro will only need 20 seconds.

Note: If you prefer your Bì Chay without too much crunch, stir fry the carrot and jicama instead.

Slice the pan fried vegetarian ham into thin strips or slices, depending on your preference.

Put all the ingredients in a bowl, including the seasoning. Press down into the fried bean curd sheets to break them into smaller pieces and gently crush the green bean threads into shards.

Mix everything until well combined.

Serve immediately as is!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the best results

• Deep fry everything. This may not be the healthiest way to enjoy Bì Chay, but it sure does make it extra crunchy and delicious!
• Season according to how you’re going to serve it. If you’re going to wrap it in a rice paper roll, use less salt because you’ll be dipping it in a sauce. But if you’re having it as part of a noodle salad, add more salt since it will be mixed in with lots of noodles and salad.
• Julienne the vegetables thinly. The thinner, the faster it will cook and the crispier it will be.

More of Mum’s vegetarian dishes

• Rice Cooker Rice with Mushrooms and Chinese Broccoli – Comforting, delicious rice loaded with mushrooms and greens is exactly how you should be spending your weeknights.
• Mushroom and Chinese Cabbage Soup – This is a soothing and simple soup recipe for those busy nights where you just want something warm and light.
• Cà Ri Chay (Vietnamese Curry) – There’s something absolutely wonderful about a thick and creamy curry that you can dunk crispy baguettes into.
• Đậu Hũ Chiên Sả Ớt (Lemongrass Chili Tofu) – When Mum needs a quick recipe, this is it. Use pre-made fried tofu for the fastest results.
• Phở Chay (Vegetarian Phở) – Yes, the most recognized noodle soup is now meatless! The broth is still full of deep flavors while everything is topped with fresh herbs.

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