Banh Tieu (Fry Bread)

Banh Tieu (Fry Bread)

Banh tieu translated in English means fried bread with sesame seeds. Banh tieu is a good Vietnamese pastry that I always purchase when I go to the Asian Market. The cost of this pastry is under a dollar. Nothing is inside just bread but the source link suggested to add ice cream inside the bread. I would like to try that.. it looks very good with vanilla. I will have to try that soon.

Here is one of my favorite snack! Banh Tieu is a Vietnamese snack. It should be round, slightly sweet and crunchy with a hollow center. I call this a hollow bread since I used bread flour to make this. And it does taste like fried bread...lol. I like mine sweeter so I added more sugar to my recipe. Sweeter does taste better...hehehe. I can eat this for a couple days. I usually just put the left over in the oven to heat up and it'll be crunchy again. Yum Yum...

Ingredients:

290 g bread flour (2 cups)
150 ml water
100 g sugar (about 1/2 cup, add another tbsp for sweeter)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp instant yeast
2 tsp baking powder
Sesame seeds

1. Take 50 ml water and microwave for 20 seconds or until the water is warm. Add in 1 tbsp sugar and the instant yeast. Let the yeast double or bubble up. Should just be a couple minutes.
2. Mix the left over sugar with 100 ml and stir until the sugar dissolve.
3. Mix the baking powder with the flour and salt. Then mix in the sugar water and then yeast water. Knead into a soft dough. If it's too dry then add in just a little bit more water.
4. Cover and let the dough rest for at least couple hours (3-4 hrs) or overnight until the dough double or triple in size. If you want it to prove faster, put it in the oven with the oven light on. Remember you must cover the dough.
5. Take the dough out and knead for one minute. Then divide the dough into 10 balls. The balls should be a little larger than a extra large egg. (Cover those that is not being used.)
6. Dip the ball in the sesame seeds on both sides. Then coat with some extra flour and roll the balls into flat circles. The flatness should be less than 1/2 inch. If your circles are thicker then you'll have a thicker filling. If it's too thin then you'll have nothing in the middle.
7. Heat a frying pan with enough oil to fry. Slide the flat dough into the oil and it will start to float. Gently try to push it with your chopstick and it should puff up. After it puff up then flip to fry the other side. Fry until golden. Frying should be quick so don't leave it alone or it'll be black!

Note: The longer you prove the dough the easier it will puff. Try to wiggle the flat dough when frying in hot oil. This will helps it puff.

Banh Pa Te So (Pate Chaud)

Banh Pa Te So (Pate Chaud)

Bánh Pa Tê Sô (also spelled Pâté Chaud) are deliciously flaky pies with a savory filling.

I know what you’re thinking. Puff pastry isn’t exactly among the first things that comes to mind when you think of Vietnamese cuisine. But, like the baguette and coffee, we’ve taken these items initially introduced by the French and have given them a Vietnamese makeover.

Bánh Pa Tê Sô are usually cut into round shapes but if you want to minimalize the waste of excess pastry dough, you can shape them into squares, rectangles, or triangles. But for the record, when I shape them into rounds, I never throw away the excess dough. Instead, I take the leftover strips, twist them and sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar before baking them. That way, I get a little sweet treat, too. Yum.

The pork filling I use is essentially a riff off of my Chả Giò (eggrolls) filling with the slight adjustments of a few things—such as the addition of peas. I also make a curry-lemongrass pork filling that is really fantastic with the buttery puff pastry, too. But whatever you choose to fill your Bánh Pa Tê Sô with, just be sure to not over stuff them or it will not cook through and may bulge out of the seams.

You can also freeze the pre-baked Bánh Pa Tê Sô. Just wrap them up individually with plastic wrap and freeze. Before baking, thaw them out to room temperature and bada-bing, bada-boom. Freshly baked Bánh Pa Tê Sô, whenever your heart desires.

Of course if you’ve got some time and ambition on your hands, homemade puff pastry dough would be ideal. I just don’t have that kind of patience and think the store bought pastry dough works just fine for me.

And no, that’s not cheating–despite what my sister, P, would say

Bánh Mì -Vietnamese Sandwiches

The Best Bánh Mì -Vietnamese Sandwiches

Hello! Welcome to our Banh Mi community & thank you for sharing the love of Vietnamese sandwiches! Contact & inquiries at editor(at)battleofthebanhmi(dot) com

Vietnamese baguette sandwiches, called Banh Mi, have attracted a loyal fan base like never before. Like a musical band with rock star status, these sandwiches have an almost cult-like following of epicurean devotees. The uniqueness of these sandwiches not only lies within the french influenced baguette, but it’s also the flavor packed, savory Viet fillings that what makes the marriage of the two main ingredients a true love affair.

It starts with a Viet style french baguette; usually made with a combination of rice and/or wheat flour, resulting in a very light, crackly crust and not overly dense bread. The majority of Viet bakeries strive & compete to achieve a golden, crackly crust with just a touch of center, where most of the baguette is more crust than center. A few other may be content on creating a Viet baguette that is a little more soft and chewy on the outside, and a little more “hoagie” like. So there is a bread for almost everyone.

Banh Mi (Sandwiches)

Bánh mì or bánh mỳ (/ˈbʌn ˌmiː/; Vietnamese pronunciation: [ɓǎɲ mî]) is a Vietnamese term for all kinds of bread. Bread, or more specifically the baguette, was introduced by the French during its colonial period. The bread most commonly found in Vietnam is a single serving baguette , therefore the term bánh mì is synonymous with this type of bread. The bánh mì is usually more airy than its western counterpart, so as a result, has a thinner crust.

The sandwiches made from it include meat and soy fillings such as steamed, pan-roasted or oven-roasted seasoned pork belly, Vietnamese sausage, grilled pork, grilled pork patties, spreadable pork liver pâté, pork floss, grilled chicken, chicken floss, canned sardines in tomato sauce, soft pork meatballs in tomato sauce, head cheese, fried eggs, and tofu. Accompanying vegetables include fresh cucumber slices, cilantro (leaves of the coriander plant) and pickled carrots and daikon in shredded form. Common condiments include spicy chili sauce, sliced chilis, mayonnaise, and cheese.

Although the term bánh mì only means bread without any fillings, the term is used to refer to a type of meat-filled sandwich found in Vietnamese bakeries abroad, especially in US, Canadian, Australian, and French communities with substantial Vietnamese immigrant communities. In the Vietnamese language, the term bánh mì is not enough to describe the type of meat-filled sandwich. Therefore, additional words are added to describe the kind of fillings. For example, bánh mì pâté thịt means a sandwich with pâté and meat, usually pork bellies, since it is the most common kind of meat. Bánh mì pâté chả thịt means a sandwich with pâté, Vietnamese sausage and meat. However, even in Vietnam, "a bánh mì for breakfast" implies a meat-filled sandwich for breakfast, not just bread.

Banh mi was added to the Oxford English Dictionary on March 24, 2011. This sandwich is considered one of the world's best street foods

Banh Mi Hot Ga Op La (French Bread with Sunnyside-Up Eggs)

Banh Mi Hot Ga Op La (French Bread with Sunnyside-Up Eggs)

Since I was buying Vietnamese French bread for my Banh Mi Thit Heo Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Sandwich), it was also the perfect opportunity to share one of my favorite Vietnamese breakfasts - banh mi hot ga op la (Vietnamese French bread with sunnyside-up eggs), frequently referred to as simply op la for short.

So simple really. Two eggs, sunny-side up, with a splash of Maggi Seasoning Sauce, or soy sauce if you don't have it, and a loaf of bread.

In Vietnam on the street, this breakfast might set you back a whopping 25 cents. Plated and in a restaurant, it might cost as much as 50 cents. *Gasp.* I know! How extravagant!

I never thought this common Vietnamese breakfast was all that unusual until college when I introduced a Japanese-Chinese American friend to the wonders of soy sauce on eggs. She became an instant fan.

Maggi seasoning sauce is really essential. It's similar to soy sauce, without the soy. Think of it as a liquid version of beef bouillon. So beloved is this sauce that Guilty Carnivore and Dylan of Eat, Drink, & Be Merry each devoted a whole post to Maggi. If you can't find it, substitute with soy sauce, although it just won't be quite the same.

Banh Mi Hot Ga Op La (Vietnamese French Bread with Sunny Side Up Eggs)

Banh Nam (Vietnamese Steamed Flat Rice Dumplings with Pork and Shrimp)

Banh Nam (Vietnamese Steamed Flat Rice Dumplings with Pork and Shrimp)

I learned to cook by wiping banana leaves in the kitchen of my ba noi (Vietnamese paternal grandmother). Actually, I think every grandchild (all 20 of us), had at one time or another been given that task. Her specialty was banh nam (Vietnamese steamed flat rice dumplings with pork and shrimp). Sometimes I would help her put the meat on the dough and wrap the banana leaves to make these flat rice dumplings. While I helped, I never did learn her recipe.

Ba noi passed away nearly six years ago. I still can't eat banh nam without crying so I often avoid it at family gatherings. Also, my aunts don't make it quite the same. The dough isn't as tender. The dumpling sometimes a bit too thick. It just wasn't the way grandma made it.

Then recently, youngest auntie stopped by with a few banh nam that she had made. There, in the comfort of my kitchen, without anyone to see, I slowly savored each dumpling. Youngest auntie's version tasted as close to grandma's as my memories could conjure up. I cried the whole time, of course. I later told her to call me the next time she makes some. This time, I vowed to learn.

Banh nam is a central region specialty. It's #12 on my list of 100 Vietnamese foods to try. Banh la is the clear tapioca flour version. Noodlepie has a picture of banh la on his blog. Disregard the title, it's incorrect, this is banh nam. Anyway, both banh nam and banh la are flat. Both have a mixture of pork and shrimp filling on top of rice or tapioca dough. Sometimes grandma added chives or ground black pepper. They're wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

Youngest auntie also made a version with more black pepper, for those who preferred it, just like grandma. For some reason, probably because that's how my ba noi liked to eat it, I eat banh nam doused in soy sauce instead of Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce).

My salute to my grandma seemed only fitting on this historic evening. I don't know which way my grandma would have voted. I remember helping her study for her citizenship exam, coaching her on how to pronounce George Washington correctly. I was so proud when she passed her exam and became an American citizen.

While I'm ecstatic with Barack Obama's election as America's 44th president, I'm also saddened that his grandma didn't live one more day to see it.

What memories do you have of your grandma?

Bánh Khọt (Miniature Fried Pancakes)

Bánh Khọt (Miniature Fried Pancakes)

Bánh Khọt (Miniature Fried Pancakes) is very similar to the popular banh xeo, but much smaller. As a matter of fact, it's spherical in size. They both use the same batter which consist of rice flour, turmeric and coconut milk, although my version of bánh xèo doesn't contain coconut milk.  The beauty - or silver lining of these dishes - is that both bánh xèo and Bánh Khọt are served with lots of herbs and lettuce or mustard greens (cai xanh). It gives you a chance to catch up on your green leafy vegetables. Nonetheless, it's the herbs and lettuce along with the savory fish sauce served with carrot and daikon pickle that define its flavor.

A perfect savory Bánh Khọt has a crispy slightly golden crust, a moist center bursting with turmeric flavor, shrimp, starchy mung bean and roasting earthy herbal flavors.  Though I am not fond of mung bean in banh khot, adding it would give  it a richer texture and more protein. 

Bánh Khọt (Miniature Fried Pancakes)

Recipe: Bánh Khọt
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Ingredients:
For Batter
1 bag of banh khot flour
1 can coconut milk
 350 ml Water
1 teaspoon Tumeric (Nghệ)
1 teaspoon Salt

For Toppings
2 stalk of Green Onion, chopped (use green part)
1 bag (1 1/2 pounds) Shrimps, size 61/70, peeled and devein
1/2 cup Mung Bean, soaked for a few hours or overnight, optional

For Powder Shrimps Topping, optional
1/2 cup dried shrimps (soaked in warm water for at least 20 minutes)
1/2 teaspoon Annato Oil (dau hot dieu), to enhance the color of  powder shrimps
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

For Fish Sauce Dip
1 cup Water
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Fish Sauce
1/2 Lime, juiced
2 cloves Garlic, choppep
2 red Chillies, chopped
1 small ripe tomato, cut into half, removed seeds, optional

Accompaniments
Lettuce leafs or Mustard Greens, Mint, Fishwort (rau vap ca), Perilla (rau tia to)
Pickle Carrot (click here)
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Bánh Khọt  Tools
A chopstick with Cotton wrapped around one end.
Bánh Khọt Pan, available at most of the Asian supermarkets.  Or
Mini Pancake Pan/Ebelskiver Pancake Pan, available at most of the Kitchenware stores. Or
Takoyaki Pan, available at Japanese stores.
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Mixing Batter
In a bowl combine all the Batter ingredients together. Mix well.
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Making Shrimp Powder
Rinse, drain shrimps and grind them in a food processor until they're puffy. 
Heat a nonstick pan and fry ground dried shrimps with fish sauce and annato oil until dry.
Stir constantly to prevent burn. Leave it to dry completely before storing.
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Making Fish Sauce Dip

In a pot, bring fish sauce, sugar, water and a tomato to boil. Smash tomato so it mixed well with fish sauce mixture. 
Remove from heat.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Set aside.   
If you opted out of the tomato,  skip the boiling step.  Just mix all the fish sauce ingredients together.
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Steaming Mung Bean
Wash mung bean. Add a pinch of salt in mung bean and steam until tender. Set aside.
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Cooking Shrimp
In a pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and add in garlic until fragrant. Add shrimps.
When shrimps is half cooked, add in 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.
Cook until done.
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Making Bánh Khọt
Heat the pan and brush with oil. Stir the batter and fill each mini cup to 3/4 high. Add in some mung bean, a shrimp and green onion .
Cover for a minute.
Check to see if it's cook.
When cake is crunchy on the outside, cooked the inside and it releases easily from the pan, remove cakes and sprinkle shrimp powder on top.
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Presentation
Take a leaf of lettuce or mustard green and  add in a couple of herbs and pickles along with the banh khot itself. Roll it up and dip into the savory fish sauce dip.
Enjoy!

Bánh Ít Lá Gai, Gai Leaf Little Cake

Bánh Ít Lá Gai (Gai Leaf Little Cake)

"Muốn ăn bánh ít lá gai lấy chồng Bình Định cho dài đường đi”.

As a popular Binh Dinh saying goes "If you wish to eat banh it la gai,  marry a Binh Dinh man to increase your life expectancy".

Binh Dinh is the land of  Banh It La Gai,  which is made from the five main ingredients: glutinous rice flour, gai leaf, sugar, mung bean and banana leaf.  Banh It La Gai has the sweet taste of sugar, the aroma of sweet rice, the spice of ginger, the starch of mung bean, bitter taste of gai leaf and the grassy perfume of banana leaf.  All of these ingredients bring out a refreshing flavor and a distinctive glossy deep black color that gives the cake its unique color.

The name Banh It La Gai indicates the two common features of the cake:     “ít” means    “little” referring to the size of  a serving for it only takes a couple bites to finish off a cake, and “lá gai” refers to the pointy serration of the  leaf commonly found abundantly in the tropics of Vietnam, but can easily be grown in the warmth of the California sun as well.

 I've always been fascinated by how banh it la gai gets its black color as I  had never seen it my entire life  untiil recently.  Sometimes in March this year, I was lucky enough to receive some Gai plants from my mother-in-law's friends. I was determined to make my first batch, but it would have to wait for three months until the first gai plants are ready for harvesting.   The Gai leaves are green but after you ground in a mortar or blend it, its green colour will turn dark green.  Once you steam the cake, the colour will turn black just like the color of  Banh It La Gai that is shown above from my first batch.  The process of making Banh It La Gai may not look appetizing but the finished product is quite pleasing to the palate.

Pleiku, where I grew up, is very close to the province of Binh Dinh. In the mornings, many people from Binh Dinh came to  Pleiku  to conduct their daily business.   According to the people of Binh Dinh, the ingredients in Banh It La Gai not only taste good, but are also good for you; they can prevent abdominal pain, keep your stomach warm, and the ash from gai leaves can be used to cure gas pain.

Banh It La Gai also plays a large role in Vietnamese rituals. This cake is always offered to worship ancestors during the New Year festivals . In marriage rituals, a tray of Banh It La Gai is the gift of the bride’s family to that of the groom to show the skillfulness of the bride who has made it together with the help of other villagers. Any ladies ready to tie the knot soon?


How I Learned to Cook and My Ba Noi (Paternal Grandmother)'s Death Anniversary Dinner

I've mentioned my ba noi (paternal grandmother) before here and there, but I've never really talked about her. I've been asked several times recently how I learned to cook, and with these several months old photos of my ba noi's death anniversary dinner still unposted, I figured Mother's Day was an appropriate time as any. While I have many, many loving memories of ba noi, the food memories are the strongest.

As far back as I can remember, I and all 19 of her other grandchildren and even visiting friends, have memories of wiping banana leaves in the kitchen as she made banh nam (Vietnamese steamed flat rice flour with pork and shrimp wrapped in banana leaves) for the family. While I wiped, ba noi told stories about her childhood or my dad's childhood.

There she is concealed behind the purple cupflowers. The pictures are from her death anniversary dinner several months ago. In case you missed it, I explained about death anniversaries and ancestor worship.