Banh Bao Chay Xuan Hong Recipes

BANH BAO (VIETNAMESE STEAMED PORK BUNS)

Steps:

• Combine the flour, yeast and sugar in a bowl then pour in the water and milk. Mix it in until incorporated then let it rest for 3 hours so the yeast has time to activate.Note: Depending on where you live, you may need to let it rest for another 1-2 hours. The warmer the climate, the quicker the yeast will activate.
• Pour the remaining flour, self-raising flour, sugar, lemon juice, egg white and oil into the activated mixtue and knead it until a smooth dough forms.
• Let the dough rest in a bowl for 30 minutes with a cloth or glad wrap over the top.
• Meanwhile, combine the pork mince and pork paste along with the pepper, chicken bouillon powder, salt, sugar, oyster sayce and fish sauce.Tip: Use a pestal and mortor to mash the ingredients together which helps to give it a smoother consistency.
• Mix in the wood ear mushroom, water chestnuts, shallots, fried onions and spring onions.
• Roll about 1/4 US cup of the pork mixture into a ball, flatten it in your palm and place a quail egg in the center.
• Wrap the mixture around the quail egg and roll it to form a sphere then push a sliced Chinese sausage on the surface.
• Leave it to sit on a plate as you roll the rest of the mince. Depending on each ball size, you'll get roughly 6 balls.
• Cut 15 cm x 15 cm (6″ x 6″) squares out of baking paper.
• Divide the Banh Bao dough into equal segments and roll them into balls. Cover using a cloth as you work on each to avoid drying.
• Flatten each ball into a circle approximately 20 cm (8″) wide using a rolling pin or a smooth cup.
• Place a meatball in the center of the flattened dough.
• Bring the top and bottom parts of the Banh Bao dough in and pinch to stick together over the meatball.
• Repeat the same steps with the left and right sides of the rolled dough.
• Where the openings are for each corner, push the tips in to form a heart shape. You'll end up with four hearts.
• Pinch each heart's tips to close the openings.
• Hold one pinched tip and pull it to the center, pinching it with the dough in the middle to allow it to stick. Repeat with all pinched tips.
• Give the center one final pinch to seal all the dough.
• Place the wrapped bun on a baking square.
• Set up your steamer to a boil and steam the baos for 30 minutes or until the meatball is cooked.Note: Alternatively, steam the meatballs before wrapping and steam the whole bao for 10 minutes or until the Banh Bao dough is cooked.
• Serve fresh as is or with a drizzle of Sirarcha!

VEGAN STEAM BUNS (BANH BAO CHAY)

Steps:

• In a separate bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar and stir to combine and allow the yeast to bloom.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and 4 cups of flour.
• Once the yeast has bloomed, combine the yeast mixture and half the oil to the dry mixture and stir to combine. It'll be a very sticky dough, but it should come together and be slightly tacky. Turn onto a clean and then lightly floured surface and knead until moderately smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Place the dough back into the mixing bowl (it should be relatively clean if you pull any extra dough off of it as you were mixing it). Coat the dough in the remaining amount of oil and mix in as well as you can. It will be quite tacky but that's okay. You should be able to incorporate most of the oil but turn the dough in the bowl to coat in oil just before letting it rest. The dough should absorb the rest as it rises.
• Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place (like microwave or oven) for at least 1 hour. It should rise a little but don't be too worried if it doesn't rise too much.
• In a large wok/pot/or pan with high sides, cook the whites of the green onion with 2 tbsp of oil for a minute or two over medium high heat. Add the finely diced jicama and carrot and cook until carrot is tender. You may need to add 1 tbsp of the measured soy sauce and about 1/3 cup of water to cook and deglaze the bottom of the pot.
• Once carrot is tender, add the chopped black fungus and stir to heat through, about 3 minutes.
• Add the vegan ground round and stir into the mixture. Add 2 tbsp of the soy sauce and stir to combine and heat through (about 3 minutes again).
• Add the chopped, hydrated mung bean noodles, the last of the soy sauce, the greens of the green onion and stir to mix through. As the noodles cook, they'll absorb moisture from the rest of the mixture and sort of bind it together to make it easier to stuff the bao.
• Add white pepper to taste (you may need to add more soy sauce or salt if desired, but I liked it at 1/4 cup. Let it cool until it's just warm before you fill the bao.
• After about an hour or so of the dough resting, turn it over to a floured surface and divide between 10-12 pieces (If you're really intense about exact measurements, it's about 100g per piece of dough). Cover the cut pieces with a damp towel while you're stuffing them so they don't dry out.
• Generously dunk the cut piece of dough into some flour then roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness (5-6 inches in diameter). Add about 3-4 tbsp of the filling into the middle of the dough then pinch the outside edges together and twist to seal the bun.
• Fill a steamer pot with about 5 cups of water + 1 tbsp of vinegar. The vinegar will help brighten the buns as they steam, resulting in a lighter bun in the end).
• Place the pinched bun on a perforated layer of a steamer pot on top of a parchment paper square. Repeat and fill the buns with the remaining filling. I tend to go quite heavy handed with the filling, and I ended up using all of the filling for these buns. If you find you have any extra leftover, put it on rice, in fresh spring rolls, or on lettuce cups for lunch.
• Try not to put the buns too close together like I did in the photos, if they're touching, they'll tear once you pull them apart after cooking. If you find you need them to touch, place some parchment paper in between so they don't stick.
• Steam on medium heat for 20 minutes, then take off the lid and let them steam for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the buns cool on a wire rack.
• Enjoy!
• For any leftovers, wrap them as soon as their cool in some plastic wrap (if you put them in a container they'll dry out). To reheat, either re-steam or microwave for 2 minutes.

BANH BAO

Steps:

• Mix pork, shallots, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce together in a large bowl. Let mixture marinate in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.
• Combine self-rising flour, milk, and sugar in another large bowl; knead until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Cover dough with cheesecloth; let rest, about 5 minutes.
• Divide dough into 18 balls. Roll out each ball into a circle with a rolling pin on a floured work surface. Place a spoonful of the pork mixture in the center; top with 2 sausage slices and an egg quarter. Gather the edges of each circle together like a coin purse; twist and pinch to seal the bun.
• Cut waxed paper into eighteen 2-inch squares. Place each bun on a waxed paper square. Arrange 1 inch apart in a steamer; cover with lid.
• Steam buns until puffed up, about 30 minutes.

BáNH CHưNG

Steps:

• Day 1: Soak the sweet rice and mung beans. Marinate the pork belly. Saute the shallots.
• Put the sweet rice in a large mixing bowl and add 4 quarts of water. Soak, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight.
• Put the mung beans in a mixing bowl and add 1 quart of water. Soak, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight.
• Cut the pork belly into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut the slices into 2-inch segments. Combine the sliced pork, fish sauce and 2 teaspoons of the black pepper in a mixing bowl. Toss to coat the pork in the marinade. Cover the pork and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
• Add the coconut oil to a saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots to the oil. Saute the shallots, stirring continuously, until aromatic and softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Transfer the shallots to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper on the shallots and stir to combine. Cover the shallots and refrigerate until it's time to wrap the bánh chưng.
• Day 2: Steam the mung beans. Prepare the banana leaves. Build and fill the banana leaf box. Cook the bánh chưng.
• To steam the mung beans: Drain the mung beans in a colander. Add them back to the bowl, cover with clean water, rinse and drain again. Repeat once more.
• Transfer the beans to a steamer lined with cheesecloth. Steam the beans over medium-high heat until tender, at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, test the doneness of the beans by removing a single bean and pressing it between your fingers. If the bean mashes easily, it's done. If not, continue steaming until done.
• Transfer the beans to a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper onto the hot beans. Stir to equally disburse the salt and pepper. Cover the beans and refrigerate until it's time to assemble the bánh chưng.
• Drain the sweet rice in a colander. Add it back to the bowl, cover with clean water, rinse and drain again. Repeat once more. Set aside to drain further.
• To prepare the banana leaves: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. Wash the banana leaves. Along the grain, cut the banana leaves into 4-inch-wide strips. Working in batches, quickly dunk the banana strips into the boiling water, then immediately plunge them into the ice water. Remove the strips from the water, dry and set them aside.
• To build a banana leaf box: Make a fold 4 inches into a banana strip. Place the strip inside a 3.75-by-3.75-by-2-inch bánh chưng mold (see Cook's Note), with the folded edge flush against the left wall of the mold. Make a corresponding fold that lays flush against the right wall of the mold. Fold another banana strip 4 inches into the strip. Place the fold inside the mold, with the folded edge flushed against the top wall of the mold. Make a corresponding fold that lays flush against the bottom wall of the mold. Repeat with 4 more banana strips, alternating the direction of the banana strips. Insert 2 leaves along the interior perimeter of the mold. The resulting banana leaf box is ready for filling.
• To add the bánh chưng filling: Spoon 1 cup of the rice into the box. Tamp the rice down to create a level bottom and build the rice up the sides of the box. Place 2 slices of the pork belly in the center of the box, avoiding the sides of the box. Add 2 tablespoons of the mung beans and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the shallots to the center of the box, again avoiding the sides of the box. Add 1/3 cup of the rice to the box and tamp the rice down so that it's level with the lip of the box. Fold down the leaves to enclose the box. Trim off any overhang.
• Lay a 3-foot-long piece of kitchen twine across the top of the box. Carefully flip the box. Remove the mold. Wrap the twine around the box to bind the leaves into a tight parcel, like you would a birthday present. Set the bánh chưng aside and repeat with the remaining banana strips, filling and twine. The bánh chưng can now be pressure cooked or steamed on the stovetop.
• To pressure cook the bánh chưng: Place the bánh chưng parcels in a 6-quart Instant Pot® and add water to cover them by 1 inch. Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 45 minutes (see Cook's Note).
• After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release and wait until the quick-release cycle is complete. Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid.
• Or to cook the bánh chưng on the stovetop: Place a wire rack inside a tall stockpot with a tight-fitting lid. Place the bánh chưng in the pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the bánh chưng by 12 inches. Bring the water to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 8 hours.
• Transfer the bánh chưng to a baking sheet. If not serving immediately, rest the bánh chưng until they're cool enough to handle. Wipe down the bánh chưng and store in the refrigerator. To reheat, steam the bánh chưng until warmed through, 10 to 15 minutes.

BANH XEO (VIETNAMESE CREPES)

Steps:

• Mix rice flour, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and turmeric together in a large bowl. Beat in coconut milk to make a thick batter. Slowly beat in water until batter is the consistency of a thin crepe batter.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic; cook and stir until fragrant but not browning, 1 to 2 minutes. Add shrimp; saute until cooked through and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with fish sauce and salt. Transfer filling to a bowl.
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
• Wipe out skillet and reheat over medium heat. Add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoon oil. Stir crepe batter and pour 1/2 cup into the hot skillet, swirling to coat the bottom. Lay 3 or 4 of the cooked shrimp on the bottom half of the crepe. Top with a small handful of bean sprouts. Cook until batter looks set and edges start to brown, about 1 minute. Fold crepe over and slide onto an oven-safe plate.
• Place crepe in the preheated oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter and filling.
• Serve lettuce leaves alongside filled crepes. Break off pieces of crepe and roll up in lettuce leaves to eat.