How to Make Deliciously Fragrant Meat-Filled Rice Cakes Simply

How to make Banh hon with meat filling

• 1

  Mix the dough

  Pour the flour into a small bowl, add 1/3 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of oil, and mix well. Then, slowly pour 50ml of warm water at about 40 degrees Celsius into the flour bowl, mixing the flour as you pour.

  When the dough is well mixed and no longer sticky, knead it by hand until it forms a non-sticky ball.

  Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes; during this time, you can prepare the other ingredients.

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the ingredients

  Peel the shallots, wash them clean, chop two bulbs finely and slice the remaining ones thinly.

  Clean the shiitake mushrooms and dice them finely.

  Clean the wood ear mushrooms, cut them into strips, and chop them finely.

  Chop the green onions.

  

  
• 3

  Mix the filling

  Mix the minced meat evenly with the chopped shallots, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate (or seasoning powder), 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce, and 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce.

  Marinate for about 10 minutes to let the meat absorb the spices.

  Tip: Choose pork shoulder that has both lean and fatty parts for the filling, making it softer and richer. If only lean meat is used, the filling will be dry and not tasty.

  
• 4

  Sauté the filling

  Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, add the sliced shallots to fry until golden and fragrant, then remove the shallots and set aside.

  In the same pan, add the meat to sauté, stirring for about 1 minute, then add the wood ear and shiitake mushrooms and sauté for an additional 5 minutes until the filling is cooked. Add the chopped green onions, stir well, and turn off the heat.

  
• 5

  Wrapping the filling

  After letting the dough rest, knead it again for about 1 minute to make it smoother.

  Take a moderate amount of dough, roll it into a ball, then flatten it out. Scoop 1 teaspoon of filling into the center of the dough piece, then gather the dough together and roll it into a ball to completely encase the filling inside. Do this step for all the ingredients.

  

  
• 6

  Steaming the dumplings

  Lay banana leaves on the steaming rack to prevent sticking, place the dumplings on top, and steam over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

  Once cooked, place the dumplings on a plate and sprinkle fried shallots on top to enjoy.

  
• 7

  Final product

  The meat-filled dumplings are enjoyed with some herbs and dipped in chili fish sauce to enhance the flavor. You can have these dumplings for breakfast or as a snack.