Banh Cuon Chay (Vegan Rice Rolls)
Banh cuon, Vietnamese steamed rice rolls, are usually filled with crumbled meat. Traditionally, to make these flat rice noodles, you secure a piece of cloth to a pot. The batter is then added to the cloth and steamed until it’s fully cooked, which takes just a minute or two. (This method reminds me of Hong Kong cloth-pulled cheong fun, another silky-smooth rice noodle.) A special flat wooden spatula is used to lift the noodle, then it’s then stuffed with the savory filling and rolled into a little log.
In addition to that steaming method though, you can actually use a nonstick skillet to make banh cuon and get the same amazing chewy texture. I’m using a banh cuon flour mix that you can easily get at an Asian grocery store or online. It takes out the guesswork (and all brands have good instructions on the package on how to successfully make rice noodles at home). With no meat in the filling, this recipe is vegan, and still packed with flavor.
These rolls are at their best served with fresh mint and Thai basil, crunchy mung bean sprouts, and fried shallots, and julienned carrot and cucumber. To make nuoc cham chay (vegan Vietnamese dipping sauce), simply combine these ingredients to taste: freshly squeezed lime juice, granulated sugar or maple syrup, minced fresh chiles or red pepper flakes, and nuoc mam chay (vegan fish sauce) if you can find it. —WoonHeng Chia
Ingredients
· 12 ounces bot banh cuon (rice flour for wet rice paper)
· 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
· Neutral oil (such as vegetable), for greasing and cooking
· 2 medium shallots, minced
· 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
· 20 ounces vegan ground pork, thawed if needed (I used OmniPork)
· 1/2 cup dried wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
· 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
· 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
· 2 tablespoons nuoc mam chay (vegan fish sauce), or 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
· Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
· For serving: fried shallots, mint leaves, basil leaves, mung bean sprouts, pickled julienned carrot, julienned cucumber, nuoc cham chay (vegan dipping sauce, see Author Notes)
Directions
00001. In a large bowl, whisk together the bot banh cuon, 4½ cups of room-temperature water, and the salt until well combined and no lumps remain. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of oil. Cover and let sit for 15 minutes while you work on the filling. Read More…
