Enjoying a plateful of homemade Bánh Cuốn (Vietnamese steamed rice rolls) should no longer be just something you enjoy on the occasional take-out. With this step-by-step recipe, you can easily make Bánh Cuốn in the comfort of your own kitchen!
Before you start your culinary journey and make Bánh Cuốn, be sure to gather all the necessary ingredients. For an authentic flavor, you'll need dried woodear mushrooms, shrimp paste, fish sauce, ground pork, Chinese chives, taro root powder or cornstarch, pepper and salt. You will also need thin sheets of bánh cuốn wrappers. These can usually be found in the frozen section of your local Asian grocery store.
To prepare the filling mixture, start by rehydrating the dried woodear mushrooms. In a medium size bowl, add them to warm water and let them sit for 15 minutes. Once they are soft and chewy, drain off any excess water and roughly chop them into smaller pieces. Place the chopped mushrooms in a large bowl and combine with shrimp paste, fish sauce, ground pork, Chinese chives, taro root powder or cornstarch with more salt and pepper to taste.
Take a few tablespoons of the filling mixture and spread it evenly over the top surface of the rice paper. Place it on your steamer tray, then steam until the wrapper becomes almost fully translucent and set, about 2 minutes. Be careful not to over-steam, or else the wrapper will become brittle and break apart. Remove from steamer and enjoy!
Place a piece of lettuce near the bottom edge and top it with some filling. Roll the wrapper tightly around the filling to form a tube shape, leaving the edges slightly overlapping so that the roll is fully sealed. Make sure to tuck in the ends as you roll. Place finished rolls on a serving platter, then continue with remaining wrappers and filling. Enjoy!
To cook the Bánh Cuốn, heat a small amount of oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, place 2 - 4 uncooked Bánh Cuốn rolls into the wok and gently fry until nicely browned on both sides. Add 1 cup of water to the wok and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve your delicious Bánh Cuốn with your choice of condiments and enjoy!
