If you haven’t already noticed, I love Vietnamese cuisine. No, Steve is not pointing a gun to my head and forcing me to say this. Admittedly, it is also not the reason why I’m with Steve, who is part Vietnamese 😉, but it helps that he is from Vietnam and understands how to fully satisfy the authenticity test to every dish. Believe it or not, his pick up line to me was “Hi, know any authentic Vietnamese restaurants in the city that is not Pho Bang?” or something to that extent 😂. If it isn’t predictable enough, our first date was at the Vietnamese restaurant which I had recommended. We each had a bowl of pho and shared a spring roll. In hindsight, why didn’t I add a plate of banh cuon?
RECIPE RECAP
| Recipe Used: Savory Rolled Cakes – from Run Away Rice |
| Prep + Cook Time: Approximately 1 Hour |
| Ingredients: Rice flour, tapioca starch, room temp water, boiling water, salt, vegetable oil, black fungus, onion, ground pork and black pepper |
| Adjustments Made: Used olive oil spray instead of brushing vegetable oil onto the pan and rolled the noodles directly on my pan rather than a separate, greased station. |
| My Execution: I followed the recipe to the T during my first attempt, but after a couple of tries, I discovered a rolling technique that worked better for me. Check out my YouTube video below to see me in action! |
| Thoughts: The recipe and video instructions from Run Away Rice were extremely detailed and informative. Surprisingly, this is not a difficult recipe to execute. However you choose to roll the noodles, whether at a separate station as directed by the recipe, or on the pan as I opted, is a matter of preference and one method may not work for everyone. Moreover, do keep in mind that the entire recipe makes 30-35 servings, so adjust accordingly or save any remaining batter for the next day. |
MY DISH RATING
Thanks to a great recipe, I successfully made platefuls of authentic banh cuon. I’ve paired it with some fresh basil and mint, bean sprouts, fried shallots, as well as sliced cucumbers and nuoc mam sauce. Additionally, thanks to my mother-in-law, I accompanied the rice rolls with her homemade Vietnamese ham, which was the missing piece to my puzzle. Albeit a bit tiring, the recipe is simple and makes a fairly large portion. For a family of 3, like ourselves, 1/3 or 1/2 of the recipe is sufficient. If you’re making this for a large party, be prepared for some work!
THE OUTCOME
MY FIRST ATTEMPT
