How to make chewy, transparent banana leaf tapioca cake in the Hue style, super simple

How to make Banana Leaf Tapioca Cake

• 1

  Preparing shrimp and pork

  First, rub salt evenly over the piece of pork belly for 3 – 5 minutes to clean the meat better. Then, rinse it with water and cut into small pieces about half a finger thick.

  Next, remove the shrimp heads and pull out the black vein, then wash the shrimp thoroughly and let them drain.

  

  
• 2

  Stir-frying shrimp and pork filling

  Place a pan on the stove, add 3 tablespoons of annatto oil, 3 teaspoons of minced onion, and 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, then sauté until fragrant.

  When the onion and garlic are fragrant, add the shrimp and pork to the pan and stir-fry over medium heat until the meat is slightly firm.

  Next, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate. Continue to stir-fry until the pork fat shrinks, and the meat and shrimp are cooked dry and absorb the seasoning evenly.

  

  

  

  
• 3

  Mixing the dough

  Add 300g of tapioca flour, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 450ml of water to a pot. Stir well until the flour mixture is completely dissolved.

  Next, place the pot on the stove and stir quickly over medium heat until the dough starts to clump together. At this point, turn off the heat and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and has an opaque white color.

  Tip: The dough is ready when it has an opaque white color, half cooked and half raw. Do not stir too long over the heat as it will cause the dough to be overcooked, making it impossible to wrap and steam the cake.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Wrapping the cake

  Cut banana leaves into several pieces with a length of about 17cm and a width of 14cm. Next, blanch the leaves in boiling water for about 3 – 5 minutes until the leaves are soft. Then, use a clean towel to dry the leaves.

  Spread a thin layer of cooking oil on the banana leaves, add 1 tablespoon of flour in the middle, and spread it evenly.

  Next, place a piece of meat and a shrimp on top of the flour. Then, fold the leaves in half twice lengthwise, folding the two edges down over the cake.

  Finally, use banana leaf string to tie and secure the cake. Do the same until you run out of the flour and the remaining shrimp and meat filling.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Steaming the cake

  Arrange the cakes in a steamer, place the steamer over a pot of boiling water, then cover tightly and steam the cakes for 15 – 20 minutes over medium heat.

  

  
• 6

  Making dipping fish sauce

  Put 1/2 cup of water, 4 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 3 tablespoons of sugar into a pot, then cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then turn off the heat.

  Pour the fish sauce into a bowl and let it cool, then add the juice of 1/4 lemon, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and minced chili, then stir well.

  

  
• 7

  Final product

  The best Hue-style filtered cake is when it is still hot, the cake when taken out has a light aroma of banana leaves, the skin is soft and chewy, translucent, blending with the rich filling of shrimp and meat, soaked in the spicy dipping fish sauce, it must be said that it is incredibly delicious!