Translucent, almost gelatinous cakes of sticky tapioca flour filled with sauteed whole shrimps and sliced fatty pork. Topped with scallions and crispy rendered pork fat and served with fish sauce.
For filling
- 1/2 pound shrimp
- 10 large shrimps (with heads)
- 1/2 pound pork belly or pork back
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon nouc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Pepper
For dough
- 30 ounces tapioca starch
- Boiling water
For topping
- 1/8 pound pork fat
- 2 scallion stalks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Make filling
Cut pork into small pieces that contain meat, fat, and skin. Set aside.
Remove the small and large shrimp’s tails, legs and veins, but leave their peels intact. The shrimp’s peel adds to the dish’s flavor and texture. For the larger shrimps, do not remove their heads. The shrimp heads contribute to the filling’s intense orangey color.
Sauté the pork in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat until just cooked. Add the shrimp (large and small) to the pork along with vegetable oil, fish sauce, salt, and sugar. Cook until all liquid has been absorbed. Lastly, add a generous amount of pepper to the filling.
Make dough
Place the tapioca starch into a large mixing bowl. Add enough boiling water to the starch to form malleable dough. Start with half a cup of water and gradually add in a little more until dough is formed. Knead the dough for approximately five minutes or until the water and starch is combined. The dough should be smooth and pliable.
Assembling and cooking Banh Bot Loc
Using a small portion of the dough, form a flat circle that is approximately 3″ in diameter and 1/8″ thick. Place one shrimp and one piece of pork in the center of the dough and fold in half. For the larger shrimps, cut into smaller pieces. Repeat with the remainder of the filling and dough.
Cook the banh bot loc in boiling water for 5-8 minutes or until translucent. Once the banh bot loc has been removed from the boiling water, place them immediately in a cold water bath for 3 minutes and then drain. Repeat until all banh bot loc has been cooked.
Make topping
Saute pork fat on high heat. After 15 minutes, crispy pork fat will form within the liquid fat. Drain the liquid fat leaving only the crispy pork fat. Set aside. Chop scallions into thin slices and sauté in vegetable oil. Add in crispy pork fat and combine. Spread the onion, oil, and crispy pork fat mixture atop the banh bot loc and serve immediately with fish sauce.
Thank you so much for this awesome recipe! I’ve always wondered how my grandma made these. Can’t wait to try it out!
yehhh everytime i make these they turn out not good. =|
im gonna go try your recipe now. Thannks a lot!
Awesome. Let me know how they turn out!
I have attempted to do this multiple times but have never succeeded. The dough making part was the most difficult and I couldn’t get it right.
The dough is definitely the trickiest part. The water must be HOT. A small prayer passes the lips. We keep one extra bag of the tapioca starch around just in case. It is SO worth the effort!!!
Whoa they look delicious, like mine!
http://phillymarketcafe.blogspot.com/2008/12/bnh-bt-lc.html
The only banh bot loc i’ve had that I really like are the ones that are steamed inside little banana leaf packets. Back in college, a friend’s mother mailed her a box with a steamer in it filled with frozen banana leaf wrapped banh bot loc (yes, MAILED as in USPS). She made some for me every time I went over. I think maybe they were made with dried shrimp. Is this a regional variation or something?
Aariq – I don’t think it’s a regional thing, more like a personal preference thing. I’ve had both versions of banh bot loc in Vietnam. Here’s a plate of banh bot loc sans banana leaves in Saigon. While the banana leaves impart a lovely flavor, banh bot loc is all about the chew, if you know what I mean.
That is so amazing! I bow to you. I am going to try to make this soon! Thank you so much!
should use shrimps without skin and heads. It’s not good to leave on!
Oh these look yummy! I never have much luck in the dumplings department.
I tried making banh bot loc the other night, but I wrapped mine in banana leaves and they were so yummy! I want to make a bunch and have them on hand for when I get the cravings. Can I make them in advance and then freeze them? If freezing is ok, should I steam them first, then freeze or should I freeze them prior to steaming and just steam cook them when I take them out of the freezer?
Steam first, then freeze. Microwave to eat. Great idea, Tam!