Vegetarian Banh Cuon Recipe

By Uyen Luu

My Aunt dì Út still lives in the old house by the seaside where my late grandfather had a fish sauce farm. She likes to sit among the enormous abandoned clay vats with a steaming drum to make the most delicious steamed rice-noodle rolls known as bánh cuốn. Her bánh cuốn are filled with fried shallots and spring onion, served alongside a beautiful sweet and sour fish sauce. This version has a squash, leek, and Jerusalem artichoke filling, plus sliced asparagus and spring onion in the batter.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘Vietnamese Vegetarian’ by Uyen Luu. Buy the full book on Amazon.

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Tapioca Starch

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Rice Flour

$3 At Weee!

Vegetarian Oyster Sauce

$11 At Amazon

Serves 4 to 6

Mix the batter ingredients in a large bowl, except for the scallions, asparagus, and oil.

Preheat your oven to 375°F and roast the pumpkin for 25–30 minutes. Set aside to cool. Peel off the skin and cut the pumpkin into ½ in cubes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium-low heat and fry the shallots and leek until just becoming translucent. Turn the heat up high, then add the mushroom and Jerusalem artichoke. Season with vegetarian oyster sauce and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the coconut water to steam the vegetables. Cook for a further 3 minutes and leave to rest. Add the scallion and asparagus to the batter. Bring the frying pan (skillet) to a medium heat and, using a pastry brush, lightly oil the pan with the cooking oil to cover the surface.

Stir the bowl of batter well before use as the flour and water will separate. Using a utility spoon, add in 2 tablespoons of the batter to cover the surface of the pan, swirling the pan quickly to keep the batter thin. Add a little more if needed. Cover the pan with a lid for about 1 minute on a gas hob or 2 minutes on electric hob; the batter should turn opaque and should not crisp up. Flip the pan over onto a lightly oiled plastic cutting board to remove the cooked noodle sheet. The rougher side should be facing upwards.

Sprinkle a level tablespoon of the filling along the bottom of the noodle sheet. Scatter the pumpkin cubes along the filling. Using a spatula, flip the bottom up and roll the noodle sheet up to the top till it forms a roll. Place on a dish. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the bánh cuốn with the vegetable oil. Repeat.

Garnish with crispy shallots, Thai basil, and cilantro. Drizzle a little chili oil over the bánh cuốn.

Serve immediately or at room temperature within a couple of hours. Alternatively, reheat in a steamer or microwave for a minute.

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