Bánh Cuốn
Discover a shortcut twist on these vietnamese rice rolls, using rice paper wrappers.
What is bánh cuốn?
Originating from Vietnam, bánh cuốn is a beloved street food classic, boasting delicate rice rolls filled with savory pork and mushrooms. While traditionally made with a blend of tapioca and rice flour, this recipe features a shortcut hack using rice paper wrappers for a quicker yet still delicious version of bánh cuốn. We’re also swapping jicama for water chestnuts in the filling for added convenience, as jicama can be hard to find in markets. Top it off with crispy fried shallots, serve alongside crisp cucumbers and fresh herbs, and dip into nước mắm.
Ingredients
- 20 sheets rice paper
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (eg. vegetable oil, canola oil)
For the filling:
- 1 onion finley diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ lb minced pork
- ½ cup dried shitake mushrooms soaked
- ¼ cup dried wood ear mushrooms soaked
- 1 can (approx. 225 ml) water chestnuts finely chopped
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- ½ tbsp chicken bouillon powder
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp black pepper ground
For serving:
- fried shallots
- cucumbers thinly sliced
- bean sprouts blanched
- fresh herbs eg. cilantro, mint, basil
- nước mắm *see recipe notes
Instructions
Prepare the filling:
- In a pan or wok over medium heat, cook onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Add the ground pork and cook until browned, breaking it into small pieces.
- Stir in the rehydrated and chopped mushrooms (shitake and wood ear), along with the water chestnuts.
- Season with fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder, salt, sugar and black pepper. Remove the pan or wok from heat and set aside.
Assemble:
- Prepare a large plate and brush it lightly with neutral oil to prevent sticking.
- Soak each rice paper sheet in lukewarm water for about 3 minutes.
- Gently lay the softened rice paper on the oiled plate. Place a spoonful of the prepared filling in the center of each rice paper sheet. Fold the sides over the filling and roll tightly to enclose the filling completely. Repeat with the remaining rice paper sheets and filling.
Serve:
- Serve with a side of thinly sliced cucumbers, bean sprouts (blanched), fresh herbs (eg. mint, basil, cilantro).
- Top it with fried shallots and dip into nước mắm.
Notes
For the nước mắm, combine and mix ¾ cup of water with 4 tbsp white granulated sugar, 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon, 6 tbsp fish sauce and 2 cloves of garlic (minced).
so simple! excellent!