Bánh Bột Chiên | Vietnamese Fried Rice Flour Cake

Step 1

Pickle the carrots and daikon. In a jar or bowl, mix together carrots, daikon, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Cover and set it aside, in the fridge, for later.

Step 2

Make the rice flour cake batter.Stovetop Version: In a saucepan, whisk together the rice flour, tapioca starch, 2 ½ cups of water, vegetable oil, and salt. Turn the heat on medium and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring consistently, until a smooth paste forms. Once it starts boiling or thickening at the bottom, turn off the heat and add the remaining ½ cup of water. Whisk until there are no longer clumps. The final consistency should resemble mashed potatoes.Microwave Version: In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together rice flour, tapioca starch, all of the water, vegetable oil, and salt. Microwave for 2 minutes, stir, and then do 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until a smooth wet paste forms.

Step 3

Steam the rice flour cake. Grease two 6-inch pans with oil and divide the batter into each pan. Pat the batter down (tip: cover with plastic wrap and press/smooth the batter down. Then, remove the plastic wrap. The plastic wrap prevents it from sticking to your hands). Cover the pans with foil. Use a steamer or a pot large enough to fit the pans, add 2 cups of water to the pot, place the pans in, and cover with a lid. Steam for 20 minutes. Once it is done steaming, let it cool off, take it out of the pan and place it in the fridge (for best results leave it in the fridge overnight or for at least 4-6 hours before cutting).

Step 4

Fry the rice flour cake with eggs. When ready to eat, cut the rice flour cakes into 1/2-inch strips, then cut the strips into 1 1/2-inch cubes or rectangles. Season the rice cake cubes with ½ tablespoon of soy sauce. In a pan, over medium-high heat, add oil, and 1 cup of rice flour cakes. Fry the rice flour cake on one side for 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden and crispy. Then, flip the rice flour cakes, add more oil if needed, crack 2 eggs into the pan, and add the scallions on top. Lightly move the eggs around so that they can cook evenly. Let it cook until the eggs are cooked through, flip, if desired. Transfer it to a plate. Repeat this step for the rest of the rice flour cakes.

Step 5

Make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar.

Step 6

Serve. Garnish the rice flour cakes with scallions and serve it with a side of pickled carrots and daikon (or green papaya) and dipping sauce.