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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
1 hour
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Difficulty
Easy
Tai cake is a traditional cake specialty from Phu Tho, shaped like an ear, made from rice, pork filling, and some other ingredients. If you haven’t had the chance to enjoy it, let’s get cooking with TasteVN and learn the super simple recipe below!
Ingredients for Phu Tho Tai Cake Serves 4
Glutinous rice 300 gr Pork 400 gr Shallots 5 bulbs Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Common spices a little (Seasoning/ salt/ sugar/ ground pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh and safe pork
- To make the tai cake filling more delicious and not dry, you should choose pork belly or lean meat with a bit of fat!
- Good pork will have lean meat that is bright red, fresh, with a white opaque layer of fat that is translucent, and the cut surface of the meat should be dry, feeling firm and elastic when pressed.
- It is advisable to buy meat with distinct lean and fat parts, but they should be tightly attached to each other, and when you touch them, they should feel difficult to separate.
- Do not buy pieces of meat that look dull, are leaking liquid, have a bad smell, or have bruises and blood clots.
How to choose good rice for making Tai cake
- You should choose freshly harvested rice that is uniform, round, and shiny, with a light fragrant smell. You should be able to smell a subtle aroma and it should not have any musty or strange odors.
- You should not buy rice that has been stored for a long time as it will lose its nutritional value, natural sweetness, and the original fragrance of the rice.
- You should avoid rice that is broken, crushed, and has yellow or black colors as that indicates spoiled rice that has been stored too long. Do not choose rice that is too white or has a white belly as it may be bleached or overly milled, causing the outer bran layer to be lost.
Tools to use
Steamer pot, blender, bowl, stove, spoon,…
How to make Tai Cake Phu Tho
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Rinse the rice
The rice you bought should be sifted to remove all stones and any leftover husks. Then rinse the rice with water 2 – 3 times until clean, and let it drain in a basket.
.jpg "How to Make Phu Tho Ear Cakes with Soft, Chewy Skin and Rich Filling That You’ll Love 4")
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Prepare the filling
Pork should be rubbed with 1 tablespoon of salt to clean off all dirt, then rinse with clean water, pat dry, cut into small pieces, and finely chop.
Shallots should be peeled and finely chopped.
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Stir-fry the filling
Heat a pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, wait for the oil to heat up then add the shallots and sauté until fragrant.
When the shallots are fragrant, add the minced pork and stir-fry, seasoning with 1.5 tablespoons of seasoning powder, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
Stir well for another 3 – 4 minutes until the meat is cooked and firm, then taste and adjust the seasoning before turning off the heat.
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Grind the rice and mix the dough
After the rice is dry, you grind it into a fine powder.
Next, place the rice flour on a flat surface, create a well in the center, then add 100ml of boiling water. Gather the rice flour around the well and knead the dough until it becomes smooth.
Then, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and continue to knead until the dough is elastic and not sticky to the hands.
Tip:- When kneading the dough with boiling water, make sure to gather the flour to absorb the water before kneading to avoid burning your hands.
- If the dough is too dry, add water; if it’s too wet, add a little more dry flour!
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Wrap the filling and shape the cake
First, take about 1 tablespoon of dough, roll it into a ball, and then flatten it so that the piece of dough is about the size of your palm.
Next, put 1 tablespoon of stir-fried meat filling in the center of the dough piece, then fold the dough in half and press the edges tightly to create a shape similar to an ear.
Repeat this process until you run out of dough and filling!
.jpg "How to Make Phu Tho Ear Cakes with Soft, Chewy Skin and Rich Filling That You’ll Love 11")
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Steam the cake
Set up a steamer over the stove, add 1 liter of water and bring it to a boil. When the water is boiling, gently place the cakes in the steamer, then put it into the pot, cover it, and steam for about 20 – 25 minutes over medium heat until you see the cake skin slightly translucent.
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Product
After steaming the tai cake, let it cool slightly and arrange it on a plate. It can be eaten with a bit of crisp fried shallots accompanied by sweet and sour fish sauce to enhance the flavor of the dish.
When enjoying, you will feel the softness and chewiness of the cake’s skin, while the meat filling is flavorful and very delicious. Although this cake is quite rustic, once you taste it, you will surely fall in love with it.
With just a few simple steps, you can complete the dish Phu Tho ear cake with a soft chewy crust and delicious filling. Let’s make it with TasteVN to enjoy and invite your whole family, wishing you success!
