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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
The Central region is famous for many delicious specialties, among which bánh khoái is a must-mention. Today, TasteVN will go to the kitchen to guide you on how to make the incredibly appealing cake dish bánh khoái with authentic Central flavor!
Ingredients for Central Region Bánh khoái For 4 people
Rice flour 300 gr Pork belly 200 gr Ground pork 150 gr Fresh shrimp 300 gr Pork liver 100 gr Duck eggs 4 eggs Straw mushrooms 100 gr Bean sprouts 100 gr Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon Green onions 2 tablespoons (chopped) Shallots 2 tablespoons (minced) Roasted peanuts 20 gr Fermented soybean paste 2 tablespoons (pureed) Cooking oil 200 ml Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ pepper/ seasoning powder)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh pork belly
- You should choose pieces of pork belly that have a balanced amount of meat and fat, which will not be greasy when eaten.
- Good pork belly will have a layer of opaque white fat, pink-red meat, and a dry membrane on the outside that does not feel sticky to the touch.
- You should choose meat that, when pressed, still feels elastic, and the piece of meat is still firm. When smelling fresh meat, it will have the characteristic scent of raw food; spoiled meat will have a foul, rotten, or strange smell.
- Do not buy pieces of pork belly with very thin fat layers as they may come from pigs raised with lean meat enhancers.
- Avoid buying pieces of meat that have gone mushy, losing their elasticity and firmness when touched. There are strange blood spots on the meat.
How to choose fresh shrimp
- Fresh shrimp will have clear legs that are tightly attached to the shrimp body. Do not buy shrimp with discolored, loose legs.
- Be sure to buy shrimp with slightly curved bodies, firm meat, intact shells, and heads tightly attached to the body.
- Do not buy shrimp with spread-out, loose tails, missing tail fins, and not neatly arranged. The shrimp may have been caught a long time ago and soaked in preservatives.
How to choose fresh pig liver correctly
- You should choose liver that is dark red or light purple, and feels soft to the touch.
- Choose pieces of liver that have good elasticity; when you press your hand into the liver, it should dent, and when you remove your hand, the dent should rise again, indicating that it is fresh liver.
- Do not choose liver that has a foul odor, a pale color, yellow or white, and feels mushy when held, as this indicates it comes from sick animals.
How to choose delicious fresh straw mushrooms
- You should choose whole mushrooms that have a distinctive fragrant smell.
- Fresh straw mushrooms will be round and still have caps, with a large cap and short stem. Black straw mushrooms usually have a stronger flavor and aroma than white straw mushrooms.
- Do not choose mushrooms that have fully opened caps, are bruised, or have an unusual odor.
Required tools
Blender, non-stick pan, pot, knife, bowl,…
How to Prepare Central Vietnam’s Bánh Khoái
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Prepare the Ingredients
First, rub salt onto the pork belly for about 1 minute, then rinse it thoroughly with water. Next, cut the meat into thin slices about half a finger length.
Remove the heads and tails from the shrimp and devein them, then rinse well and let them drain.
Wash the pig’s liver with salted water for 1 – 2 minutes, then cut it into thin slices.
Trim the stems off the straw mushrooms, rinse them well, and then cut them in half. Rinse the bean sprouts and let them drain.
Tip: Besides cleaning and deodorizing the pig’s liver with salt water, you can also soak the liver in unsweetened milk for about 30 minutes, then rinse it with clean water!
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Sauté the Shrimp and Pork Filling
Place a pan on the stove, add a little cooking oil, and 1 tablespoon of minced shallots, then sauté until fragrant.
When the shallots turn golden and aromatic, add 200g of pork belly, 300g of shrimp, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stir the filling mixture over medium heat until fully cooked, then turn off the heat.
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Cook the pate dipping sauce
Place a pot on the stove, add a little cooking oil, 1 tablespoon of minced shallots, and sauté until fragrant.
Next, add 150g of ground pork, 100g of pork liver, 1 tablespoon of seasoning, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 10g of roasted sesame, 20g of crushed roasted peanuts, 2 tablespoons of finely ground fermented soybeans, and 50ml of water.
Mix the above mixture over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the ingredients are tender, then blend until smooth to create a thick dipping sauce.
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Mix the batter for Central region pancakes
Add 300g of rice flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 tablespoons of chopped green onion, and 300ml of water into a bowl.
Use a whisk to mix until the mixture is completely smooth and there are no lumps of flour left. Then, let the batter rest for 30 minutes before making the pancakes.
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Pouring the bánh khoái
Place a non-stick pan on the stove, add a little cooking oil and heat it up.
When the oil is hot, immediately pour in a ladle of the batter mixture and spread it evenly across the pan. Next, add some straw mushrooms, bean sprouts, and shrimp on top, then cover the lid for 2 minutes, frying the bánh on medium-low heat!
Meanwhile, beat 4 duck eggs, then drizzle a little egg and some cooking oil around the outer edge of the bánh. Continue to cover the lid tightly and fry for another 2 minutes.
Repeat the same process for the next bánh.
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The finished product
The bánh khoái from the Central region has a beautiful golden crust; when eating, you just need to wrap the bánh with fresh vegetables, dip it generously in pâté sauce, and enjoy it while it’s still hot.
Each piece of bánh is hot, crispy yet soft, with a filling that is fragrant and sweet from the shrimp and meat, crunchy straw mushrooms, fresh bean sprouts, and especially a little richness and depth of flavor from the sauce that is simply delicious!
See more:
Central Vietnam savory pancakes with a crispy golden layer, delicious shrimp and meat filling, along with a special dipping sauce that brings a perfect blend of flavors, making anyone who tries it once remember forever. Let’s make it and invite the whole family to enjoy, TasteVN wishes you success!
