These delicious Vietnamese steamed rice cakes (bánh bèo) are topped with velvety mung bean, prawn floss, fried pork fat, and a drizzle of scallion oil for the perfect combination of flavor and texture.
Vietnamese people love grazing on street food all day long. Whenever I went to the market with my mom, we would order a few items for breakfast, buy our grocery, then grab desserts on the way back. One breakfast that I really enjoyed was bánh bèo or Vietnamese steamed rice cakes. These delicious steamed rice cakes are topped with velvety mung bean, prawn floss, fried pork fat, and a drizzle of scallion oil for the perfect combination of flavor and texture.
Bánh bèo variations
Bánh bèo is a specialty of central Vietnam, especially in Đà Nẵng, Huế, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai. It is made from a batter of rice flour and tapioca flour, topped with minced shrimp (Huế style) or a mixture of pork, shrimp, and wood ear mushroom (Da Nang/Quang Nam style) and served in the little bowls. Southern Vietnamese have their own version called bánh bèo miền Nam, where the steamed rice cakes are topped with steamed mung bean in addition to the regular toppings and served on a plate. My family lived in a town called Thủ Đức, south of Saigon so we love the southern bánh bèo version.
How to make the steamed mung bean
You’ll need to soak the mung beans for 6 hours or overnight. Once they’re softened, it will be easier to steam. The mung bean needs a little bit of salt for flavor and gets blended in a food processor to create a smooth filling. You can make the mung bean a day ahead and leave them in the fridge covered with plastic wrap to save time.
How to make prawn floss
Prawn floss adds saltiness, texture, and taste to the Vietnamese steamed rice cakes. You can make prawn floss from fresh prawns/shrimp or dried prawns/shrimp depending on your preference. I use dried prawns for convenience and shorter cooking time. You can find dried prawns/shrimp at your local grocery store. Soak them in water for two hours to rehydrate, blend them in a food processor until pulverized, and use them as toppings for the steamed rice cakes. If you're not using them right away, keep them in an airtight container for a week in the fridge or pantry.
How to make the fried pork lard
The crispy fried pork lard adds texture and richness to the Vietnamese steamed rice cakes (bánh bèo). I ask the butcher at my local Vietnamese grocery store for a good section of fat, usually the layer in between the the skin and meat of pork belly. After cutting the fat into small cubes, I transfer the cubes to a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and let the fat slowly rendered out.
How to make the scallion oil
Scallion oil or mỡ hành is a Vietnamese staple. It adds aroma, flavor, and color to many dishes. Some people make scallion oil only with just the green parts. It’s not wrong to add the white parts depending on your preference. Use a neutral oil like vegetable oil or canola oil so it can pick up the flavor of the scallion. Sliced scallion, vegetable oil, and a bit of salt go into a pan for a few minutes until the scallion becomes soft.
Tips for steaming the bánh bèo
- To save time and make things more efficient, make the prawn floss the day before. Mix the bánh bèo batter first and let it rest while you make the steamed mung beans, friend pork lard, scallion oil, and dipping sauce.
- Let the batter rest for an hour after you mix it. Give the batter a quick stir to redistribute the flour that had settled at the bottom.
- Use small, shallow bowls for steaming the rice cakes. You can find these bowls at Vietnamese grocery stores.
- Make sure to grease the bowl with vegetable/canola oil before pouring the batter in. It will make removing the rice cakes easier.
- One tablespoon of batter takes about 5 minutes to steam which creates a thin rice cake.
- If you like thicker rice cakes, use one and a half tablespoon of batter which will take about 7-8 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove the bowls so you don't burn yourself.
- Wait until the bowls are cool enough to handle before removing the steamed rice cakes from the bowl.
- This recipe makes about 8-10 servings so scale down if you're cooking just for yourself and another person.
It's easy to overindulge in these Vietnamese steamed rice cakes because they taste so delicious! Just as you savor the tender rice cake topped with velvety mung bean, rich scallion oil, salty prawn floss, crunchy fried pork lard, and spicy dipping sauce, that whole bite is gone. These bánh bèo bring all the flavor and texture of Vietnamese street food!
For more Vietnamese street food inspiration, check these recipes:
- Vietnamese crepes
- Vietnamese grilled beef wrapped in betel leaves
- Vietnamese savory prawn coconut pancakes
- Vietnamese prawn sweet potato fritters.
Vietnamese steamed rice cakes with prawn floss and mung bean (bánh bèo)
Equipment
- 2 inch shallow dipping bowls or plates
- Bamboo steamer
Ingredients
Batter
- 2 cups rice flour
- ¼ cup tapioca flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups water, warm water
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil for steaming
For serving
- ½ cup split mung beans, soaked in cold water for 6 hours or overnight
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 ounces pork fat, diced into cubes
- ¼ cup dried prawns or shrimp, soaked in water for 2 hours
Scallion oil
- ½ cup scallion, thinly sliced, green parts only
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ tsp salt
Dipping sauce
- 2 tbsps fish sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tbsps granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 red bird's eye chili, thinly sliced
Instructions
Prawn floss (make this the day before)
- In a food processor add steamed mung bean and salt and pulse until smooth.
- Rehydrate the dried prawns in cold water for 2 hours. Drain and pat dry with paper towel.
- Put the rehydrated prawns in a food processor and blitz to a fine floss.
- Heat a small frying pan over low heat, add the prawns, cook on low heat while stirring continuously for 10 minutes or until dry.
Steamed mung beans (start this the night before)
- Place the mung beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water for 6 hours or overnight.
- Wash and drain the pre-soaked mung bean. Put the mung bean in a steamer and steam for 15 minutes or until mung bean is soft.
- Store in an airtight container in the pantry or fridge for up to 1 week.
Fried pork lard
- Place the pork fat in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Render the fat on all sides for 20 minutes until crispy. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.
Scallion oil
- For the scallion oil, place the oil, salt, and onion in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes or until the oil just starts to simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Dipping sauce
- To make the dipping sauce, combine everything in a bowl and whisk together until combined. Set aside until ready to serve.
Steamed rice cakes
- Now add the rest of the water, and whisk until you achieve a fine liquid batter. Set aside and let it rest for 1 hour.
- To make the batter, in a large bowl combine rice flour, tapioca flour, and salt. Make a well in the center and whisk in ½ the warm water.
- Brush the dipping bowls with vegetable oil to make it easier to remove them after cooking.
- Working in batches, arrange the bowls in the base of a large bamboo steamer and fill each bowl with 1 tablespoon of batter.
- Set the steamer over a saucepan or simmer water and steam for 5 minutes until the rice cake is cooked. Carefully remove the dipping bowls and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Remove the steamed rice cakes and transfer them to a serving plate. Spoon a little mung bean onto the cakes, top with a few pieces of pork fat and prawn floss. Drizzle the scallion oil and dipping sauce over the cakes and serve immediately.
Notes
- To save time and make things more efficient, make the prawn floss the day before. Mix the batter first and let it rest while you make the steamed mung beans, friend pork lard, scallion oil, and dipping sauce.
- Let the batter rest for an hour after you mix it. Give the batter a quick stir to redistribute the flour that had settled at the bottom.
- Use small, shallow bowls for steaming the rice cakes. You can find these bowls at Vietnamese grocery stores.
- Make sure to grease the bowl with vegetable/canola oil before pouring the batter in. It will make removing the rice cakes easier.
- One tablespoon of batter takes about 5 minutes to steam which creates a thin rice cake.
- If you like thicker rice cakes, use one and a half tablespoon of batter which will take about 7-8 minutes.
- Use tongs to remove the bowls so you don't burn yourself.
- Wait until the bowls are cool enough to handle before removing the steamed rice cakes from the bowl.
- This recipe makes about 8-10 servings so scale down the ingredients if you're cooking just for yourself and another person.
Kim
This was easier to make than I thought! I couldn't find just plain fat at my grocery store and didn't make the fried pork lard but it was still delicious.
Jamie
So simple to make and delicious! I didn't have fried pork and didn't really miss them.
Christina
I love the texture of the rice cakes and everything tasted great together.
Diana
Delicious and so easy to make! There were a lot of components but they didn't take that much work.
Kathryn
This was so easy to make and perfect for feeding a large family!
Lisa
I've made this a couple times already and the flavor is better than the store bought ones.
Avery
These were easier to make than I thought. I didn't have very shallow bowls so they came out a bit thicker and I had to cook them for 2 minutes longer. They turned out so good with all the toppings.
Erin
There were a lot of components for this recipe and they did take a bit of prep work. Together everything was so good.
Minh
Everything was so delicious! It took a bit of work but turned out so much better than the restaurant or those delis. You can taste the freshness!
Kathleen
Love this recipe! Sometimes I can't find pork fat and skip that part but everything still tasted great.
Michael
So good! The texture was just right.
Laurie Rasor
Have A Good Day
Vy Tran
Thank you Laurie!
Lynn
This is easier to make than I thought. All the components took time but I was able to prep them the day before so it wasn't too bad.
Thuy
Easy to make and so much better than the stuff at the deli!
Tue
Very good! I made a big batch and leftover the next day was just as delicious!
Jane
This was time consuming but so worth it!
Patrick
One of the most involved recipes I've tried but so worth it!
Nguyen
Everything tasted really good together. The only thing I would add is doubling the prawn floss.
BA
Delicious. Tasted better than the deli version!
Su
I really enjoyed this recipe! The only thing I would change is to top it with fried shallots.
Jenn
I really enjoyed this recipe. It does take a bit of planning but lots of things can be made ahead. Agreed with what the other comment said, it tastes so good with the fried shallots!
Tony
So good with all the different toppings. Definitely better than usual mung bean and prawn floss. I like the pork fat and also added the fried shallot. I don't think I can go back to eating banh beo without it.
Gina
Incredibly delicious with all the different components!
dave
hi, just a slight correction - if it's possible to edit. Because your family is from Mien Nam where dau hoi and dau nga are often pronounced as the same, you probably heard mo (fat/oil) as dau hoi, and thus wrote it like that but it's actually written with dau nga!
Vy Tran
Thank you for catching this! You're absolutely right! If you don't mind sharing, do you speak and write Vietnamese or have lived in Vietnam? My kids are learning Vietnamese and it's difficult to distinguish between dau hoi and dau nga.