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Bánh Cuốn on a plate.
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5 from 8 votes

Bánh Cuốn (Vietnamese Pork Mince Rice Rolls)

Bánh Cuốn is the perfect Summer recipe! These Vietnamese rice rolls are served with crisp salads and toppings for a flavor and texture explosion!
Prep Time40 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Servings: 4
Calories: 376kcal
Author: Jeannette

Equipment

  • Pan or wok with a flat base
  • Spatula or long flat utensil to roll the Bánh Cuốn

Ingredients

For The Batter

  • 1 bag bánh cuốn flour (we get it from the Asian supermarket)
  • 1 L / 4.2 L US cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp cooking oil
  • cooking oil (for greasing the pan)

For The Filling

  • 200 g / 0.44 lb pork mince
  • 50 g / 0.11 lb woodear mushroom (finely chopped)
  • 80 g . 0.18 lb shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated and finely chopped)
  • 150 g / 0.33 lb jicama (cut into thin strips)
  • 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
  • 3 spring onion head (finely chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • 3 red shallot (finely chopped)

For The Filling Seasoning

  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp fish sauce (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

For The Garnish

  • lettuce
  • mint
  • Vietnamese coriander
  • coriander
  • bean sprouts
  • cucumber (cut into strips)

For The Toppings (optional)

  • fried onion
  • pickled carrots and daikon
  • Vietnamese pork meatloaf (chả lụa) (cut into thin slices)
  • Vietnamese cured pork (nem chua) (cut into thin slices)
  • Vietnamese fried prawn cake (bánh cống) (cut into large chunks)

Instructions

  • Start by mixing the Bánh Cuốn flour with the salt, water and oil. Make sure to combine everything well first before adding the oil. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a wok or pan up to a medium heat and add 5 tbsp oil in. Throw in the onions and red shallots to cook for 3 minutes or until almost translucent.
  • When ready, add the spring onions and garlic in to cook for another minute.
  • Turn the heat up to high and pour the jicama strips in to cook for 5 minutes or until soft.
  • Add the mince and woodear and shiitake mushrooms in along with the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, pepper and sesame oil. Give it a mix until well combined, then set aside to cool.
  • While the mince is resting, heat up a pan on medium heat and lightly brush on some oil to coat the entire surface.
    Pro Tip: We use a brush or paper towels dipped with oil.
  • Coat a large plate with oil as well and leave it aside until later.
  • Pour a thin layer of the batter in (roughly 1/4-1/3 cup, depending on the size of your pan). Roll the pan around to spread the mixture until it forms a thin layer, then put the lid on.
  • Let it cook for 15-30 seconds or until semi-translucent. You might also find that the cooked batter will start to pop away from the pan's surface by forming a large bubble.
  • Flip the pan over so that the cooked batter can land flat on the lightly oiled plate. Add 1-2 tbsp of the mince filling in a straight line along its center, then roll it over using a spatula or until it forms a roll.
  • Repeat the batter cooking and pork filling steps until all is done.
  • Serve immediately with fresh herbs, classic toppings and Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Mắm)!

Notes

  • Use fried onion/shallot oil. Anywhere in the recipe you need to use oil, replace it with a fragrant shallot oil. You can make your own by browning finely sliced red shallots in oil, then straining the aromatics away so you're left with a fragrant oil to use.
  • Don't coat the pan with too much oil. This will make the batter bubble, which won't make that smooth Bánh Cuốn texture it's recognized for.
  • Don't add too much the filling. You'll find that it's much harder to roll and there's a higher chance of the rice roll ripping.
  • We buy our Bánh Cuốn premix flour from Asian supermarkets because it's easier. But if that's not readily available, you can make your own using the video recipe from Helen's Recipes.
  • This dish is traditionally made using pork. We like to use the fattier version so the filling stays juicy, but you can substitute it for a leaner type or a different mince altogether.
  • All of the sauces can be found in Asian supermarkets. You can also make this vegetarian by swapping the fish sauce for a vegan or vegetarian one. The oyster sauce can also be replaced by an oyster sauce substitute.
  • All the toppings can be bought from Asian markets and are entirely optional.
  • The cured pork is generally found in the fridge. You'll notice that meatloaf is often sold near the cash register (and still warm if delivered fresh). To get the Vietnamese fried prawn cake (Bánh Cóng), we go to stalls that fry them fresh that day.

Nutrition

Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 989mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 105IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg