Bánh cuốn — rollitos de arroz al vapor vietnamitas
A delicate Vietnamese breakfast: paper-thin steamed rice-batter sheets rolled around a savoury filling of minced pork and wood-ear mushroom, served with crisp fried shallots, sliced Vietnamese pork sausage (chả lụa), fresh herbs and a bowl of nước chấm. Bánh cuốn is light, silky and slippery — the steamed sheets are an art to make thin and tender — and the contrast of soft rolls, crunchy shallots and tangy dipping sauce is irresistible.
Make a thin batter of rice flour and tapioca starch with water and a little oil, and let it rest. Cook minced pork with wood-ear mushroom and shallot into a savoury filling. Ladle a thin layer of batter onto a hot, lightly oiled non-stick pan (or a cloth-topped steamer), cover, and steam briefly until the sheet is set and translucent. Lift it onto an oiled surface, add a line of filling, and roll it up. Serve the soft rolls topped with crisp fried shallots, with sliced chả lụa, herbs, bean sprouts and nước chấm for dipping.
- A thin rice-and-tapioca batter (rested) is what makes the sheets silky and tender, not gummy.
- Steam the batter into a thin sheet (a non-stick pan with a lid is the easy home method), then roll while warm.
- Crisp fried shallots, chả lụa, herbs and nước chấm are essential accompaniments, not optional.
Equipment
- Non-stick pan with lid (or cloth steamer)
- Ladle
- Oiled tray/surface
Ingredientes
Batter
- 200 g rice flour
- 40 g tapioca starch
- 600 ml water
- 1 tbsp oil; pinch salt
Filling
- 250 g minced pork
- 2 tbsp wood-ear mushroom, soaked and chopped
- 2 shallots, minced; 1 tbsp fish sauce; pepper
To serve
- Crisp fried shallots
- Chả lụa (Vietnamese pork sausage), sliced
- Herbs, bean sprouts (blanched), cucumber
- Nước chấm (fish sauce, lime, sugar, water, garlic, chilli)
Elaboración
- PASO01
Whisk the rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, oil and water into a thin, smooth batter and let it rest at least 30 minutes (resting gives tender sheets).
- PASO02
Fry the minced shallot, then the pork with the wood-ear mushroom, fish sauce and pepper until cooked and savoury. Set aside.
- PASO03
Heat a non-stick pan over medium, brush with a little oil. Stir the batter and ladle a thin layer into the pan, swirling to coat. Cover and steam 30–60 seconds until the sheet is set, translucent and just cooked (no wet spots).
- PASO04
Slide or flip the delicate sheet onto a lightly oiled surface. Lay a line of pork filling along one edge and roll it up into a soft cylinder. Repeat, brushing the pan with oil between sheets.
- PASO05
Arrange the rolls on a plate, scatter generously with crisp fried shallots, and serve with sliced chả lụa, herbs, blanched bean sprouts and cucumber, and a bowl of nước chấm for dipping.
Make ahead
Make the batter (it benefits from resting), cook the filling, fry the shallots and prep the herbs and nước chấm ahead. Steam and roll the bánh cuốn fresh to serve, since the sheets are best warm and soft. The fried shallots and chả lụa can be bought or made in advance.
Storage
Best fresh and warm, when the rolls are soft and silky — they firm up and dry as they cool. The batter and filling keep a day refrigerated; steam the sheets fresh to order. Leftover rolls can be gently re-steamed. Keep the fried shallots crisp in a sealed jar.
Variations
Bánh cuốn trứng
Crack an egg onto the batter as it steams for an egg-filled sheet (a Lạng Sơn specialty).
Plain (bánh cuốn chay)
Serve the rolls plain (no meat filling), relying on fried shallots, herbs and nước chấm.
Easy method
If making thin steamed sheets is daunting, a non-stick crêpe pan with a lid is the most forgiving home approach.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Preguntas frecuentes
What is bánh cuốn?
Bánh cuốn is a Vietnamese dish of thin, delicate steamed rice-batter sheets rolled around a savoury filling of minced pork and wood-ear mushroom, topped with crisp fried shallots and served with herbs, sliced pork sausage (chả lụa) and nước chấm. It's a popular breakfast and light meal, prized for its silky, slippery texture.
How do I make the steamed sheets at home?
Traditionally the thin batter is steamed on a cloth stretched over a pot, which takes practice. The easy home method is to cook a thin layer of batter in a hot, lightly oiled non-stick pan with a lid (so it steams), until just set and translucent, then lift it off to fill and roll. A non-stick crêpe pan is the most forgiving tool.
Why add tapioca starch to the batter?
A little tapioca starch mixed with the rice flour gives the sheets their characteristic slight chew and silky, translucent, slippery texture — rice flour alone can be more fragile or gummy. Resting the thin batter before cooking also helps produce tender, pliable sheets. The exact ratio varies by cook.
What is chả lụa?
Chả lụa (giò lụa) is Vietnamese steamed pork sausage — a smooth, pale, mild pork roll, usually bought ready-made and sliced. It's the classic accompaniment to bánh cuốn, served alongside the rolls. If you can't find it, the rolls are still delicious with just the fried shallots, herbs and dipping sauce.
What's the difference between bánh cuốn and cheung fun?
They're cousins — both are steamed rice-flour rolls. Vietnamese bánh cuốn sheets are very thin and delicate, filled with pork and wood-ear and served with nước chấm and fried shallots. Chinese cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) are typically thicker, filled with shrimp, beef or char siu, and served with a sweet soy sauce. Different fillings, sauces and texture.
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