1. Prepare ingredients
Cake flour: 500g rice flour (or use 1 cup of soft-soaked rice mixed with half a cup of cold rice to create natural crispness), filtered water, a little salt.
Filling and accompaniment: 15-20 quail eggs (or beaten chicken eggs), 300g minced pork, scallions, shallots, garlic, basic spices.
Earthenware or cast iron for making banh can.
2. Simple implementation steps
Step 1: Mix baking dough
If you grind the flour yourself, wash the rice thoroughly, soak it for about 1 day, then grind it finely with half a cup of cold rice and a little salt with a moderate amount of water.
If using pre-mixed flour, mix the flour with water according to the instructions on the packaging, let the flour rest for about 30 minutes before pouring.
Step 2: Make shumai
Marinate minced meat with minced shallots, fish sauce, seasoning powder, sugar and a little pepper for 20-30 minutes to absorb the spices.
Roll the meat into small round balls that are easy to eat and then steam until cooked.
Sauté scallions and garlic until fragrant, add the steamed shumai balls and stir well with a little filtered water, season again with slightly rich spices to make the served shumai broth.
Step 3: Make scallion oil and dipping sauce
Scallion oil: Cut scallions into small pieces, sauté until fragrant with hot cooking oil and then put in a bowl.
Cook fish sauce mixed with sugar and a little salt to taste just right with a mild sweet and sour taste.
When eating, you scoop the fish sauce into a bowl, add a few shumai balls and pour a little scallion oil on top.
Step 4: Pour pancakes
Place the banh can mold on the stove to heat, apply a thin layer of cooking oil to each mold box.
When the mold is hot enough, gently pour the dough into about 2/3 of the mold and close the lid.
When the cake surface starts to turn cloudy white, beat quail eggs (or scoop chicken eggs) onto the cake surface. Cover for another 1-2 minutes until the cake crust is crispy, evenly golden brown on the edges, then use a flat spoon to pick up the cake onto a plate.
Cooked Banh Can are arranged in pairs face-down. When eating, dip the crispy banh in a warm siu mai fish sauce bowl. This perfect harmony will bring the full flavor of Da Lat mountain town right to your kitchen.
