Bánh bèo or Vietnamese steamed rice cakes are a popular Vietnamese appetizer made with soft bouncy rice cakes that are topped with softened mung beans, dried shrimp, scallion oil, crispy fried shallots, and served with a side of Vietnamese dipping sauce.
Bánh bèo or Vietnamese steamed rice cakes are a popular Vietnamese appetizer made with soft bouncy rice cakes that are topped with softened mung beans, dried shrimp, scallion oil, crispy fried shallots and served with a side of Vietnamese dipping sauce.
Whenever my family would host a big celebration, my mom would make bánh bèo as the first course in a three-course meal for my large family. She would bring out a giant serving tray filled with about 30+ beautiful, tiny white plates filled with soft and bouncy rice cakes topped with creamy mung bean paste, toasted shrimp, scallion oil, and fried shallots with a side of sweet and savory Vietnamese dipping sauce.
These tiny plates are filled with rich umami flavors, soft, bouncy and crunchy textural contrast, and are visually and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. This recipe will guide you step-by-step on how to make these Vietnamese steamed rice cakes. If you are looking for more delicious appetizers, check out my spicy tuna crispy rice, Vietnamese shrimp toast, and pate chaud.
You’ll get delicious plates of soft, bouncy rice cake topped with mung bean paste, toasted shrimp, fried shallots, and scallion oil.
This banh beo recipe will show you step-by-step how to make each component along with some tips and tricks for foolproof cooking.
These banh beo plates are the perfect crowd-pleasing appetizers for your next dinner party or event.
Kitchen Equipment
For this banh beo recipe, make sure you have all of these kitchen tools before you begin. These tools will help make the process of cooking these Vietnamese steamed rice cakes so easy.
Mixing Bowls: you will use a variety of mixing bowls to hold and mix your ingredients. I love using my Duralex glass mixing bowls because they come in 10 different sizes and are very durable and versatile.
Rice cooker: you will use a rice cooker to cook and soften the mung beans. If you do not have a rice cooker, you can alternatively cook the mung beans on your stove until they are softened.
Measuringcup with spout: you will need a measuring cup with a spout or some type of cup with a spout to easily pour the batter into the small plate molds.
Small plates or dipping bowls: for this banh beo recipe I used small 3-inch ceramic plates. You can alternatively use any small 2-3 inch sized plates, mini muffin pan, ramekins, etc.
Ingredients
You can find all of these ingredients for this banh beo recipe at your local Asian grocery store or online.
Rice Flour: is the base of the banh beo. Do NOT mistake rice flour for glutinous rice flour. They are not the same. Glutinous rice flour is much thicker and stickier and will not create the right consistency. You can buy rice flour online or at your local Asian grocery store.
Corn Starch: is a thickening agent that creates a more tender texture.
Tapioca Starch: adds a touch of bouncy chewiness to the banh beo. You can buy tapioca starchor tapioca flour at your local grocery store or online.
Salt: used to season and bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
Mung beans: this requires peeled split mung beans. Since you are making a small batch, you do not need to soak the mung beans overnight. But remember to wash the mung beans until the water runs clear.
Shrimp: used to make fresh dried toasted shrimp. Remember to peel and devein your shrimp for the best flavor.
Green Onion: used to make the scallion oil
Fried Shallots: adds a crunch to the dish. For instructions on how to make fried shallots, check out this sticky rice recipe here.
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
Fish Sauce: is the base ingredient for the dipping sauce. For the best flavor, I recommend using Red Boat Fish Sauce.
Coco Rico:coco rico is the secret ingredient in the Vietnamese dipping sauce. It adds a coconut-y sweetness.
Garlic: freshly minced garlic adds a rich aromatic flavor
Sugar: sweetens the dipping sauce
Lime Juice: the lime juice adds acidity to the fish sauce and breaks up the strong umami flavor.
Bird’s Eye Chili: this is optional if you’d like to add a kick of spiciness to your dipping sauce
Substitutions and Additions
Coconut water: if you cannot find Coco Rico at your grocery store, you can always substitute it with coconut water.
Lemon Juice: instead of lime juice in the dipping sauce, you can substitute it for lemon juice.
Fried pork fat or pork rinds: you can substitute the fried shallots with pork rinds for more texture and crunch
How to Make Bánh Bèo
This savory banh beo recipe is very easy to make. All you need to do is make the 1) rice cakes, 2) mung beans, 3) dried shrimp, and 4) Vietnamese dipping sauce.
Bánh Bèo Batter
Mix the batter. In a large mixing bowl, mix the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, hot water, and salt. Cover and let the batter rest for 1 hour.
Shrimp
Cook the shrimp in water. On a large skillet on medium-high heat, add the shrimp and just enough water to cover the shrimp, about 1 cup. Cover and cook for 1 minute on each side. Transfer the shrimp to a food processor and save the remaining shrimp water for the dipping sauce.
Chop the shrimp. Pulse the shrimp in a food processor for about 30 seconds or until finely chopped.
Dry the shrimp. Using the same cleaned skillet, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the chopped shrimp and cook for about 6-7 minutes stirring until the shrimp is dried, lightly golden brown, and fluffy.
Mung Beans
Cook the mung beans. Rinse the mung beans until the water runs clear. Then place the mung beans in a rice cooker with 1 cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook in the rice cooker. Once cooked, mash the mung beans in the rice cooker and set aside. If the mung beans are dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water.
Green Onions
Prepare the green onion. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the green onion, oil, and salt for 2 minutes.
Mix together. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the reserved shrimp water, fish sauce, coconut water, garlic cloves, sugar, lime juice, and bird’s eye chili.
Assemble
Steam the banh beo. Fill your steamer basket 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil. Grease each small 3-inch plate with vegetable oil and place them into your steamer. Mix up your batter and pour it into a measuring cup with a pour spout. Pour the batter into the dishes halfway, cover and steam on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes or until set.
Assemble. Add a small dollop of mung bean, dried shrimp, a few pieces of green onion with a drizzle of scallion oil, and crispy fried shallots on top of each dish. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Bánh Bèo
If the mung beans are dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water at a time and mix until the mung beans have the consistency of mashed potatoes.
Save the shrimp water. Remember to save the shrimp stock after you cook the shrimp for the dipping sauce. This will create a more well-rounded umami flavor in the dipping sauce.
Let the batter rest for a minimum of 1 hour. Letting the batter rest, gives time for the rice flour to absorb the liquid and fully incorporate it into the batter.
Steam on medium-high heat. Make sure the steamer is not too hot because it may overcook and boil the rice cakes.
Different sized containers will yield different cook times. I used small 3-inch wide and 1/2 inch thick plates for this banh beo recipe which took 4 minutes to steam. If you use thicker plates or muffin tins and fill them higher it may take up to 7-8 minutes to steam. You will know if they are done steaming when the entire plate is set and the tops are slightly sticky and springy.
Storage Instructions
You can store the banh beo, mung bean paste, scallion oil, dried shrimp and fish sauce individually wrapped in airtight containers for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply steam the banh beo again to bring back the moisture into the rice cake.
Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s
How long does bánh bèo last?
Banh beo if not already drizzled with fish sauce can last individually wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
How do you eat bánh bèo?
Banh beo is served in individual small dishes. They are eaten by drizzling some Vietnamese dipping sauce on top and scooping with a spoon.
Why did my bánh bèo crack?
If the top of the banh beo is cracked, like a mosaic, the banh beo is not fully cooked. The top of the rice cake should be slightly sticky and springy.
Bánh bèo or Vietnamese steamed rice cakes are a popular Vietnamese appetizer made with soft bouncy rice cakes that are topped with softened mung beans, dried shrimp, scallion oil, crispy fried shallots, and served with a side of Vietnamese dipping sauce.
Mix the batter. In a large mixing bowl, add the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca starch, hot water and salt. Mix until combined. Cover and let the batter rest for 1 hour.
Shrimp
Cook the shrimp in water. On a large skillet on medium high heat, add the shrimp and just enough water to cover the shrimp about 1 cup. Cover and cook for 1 minute on each side. Transfer the shrimp to a food processor and save the remaining shrimp water for the sauce.
Chop the shrimp. Pulse the shrimp in a food processor for about 30 seconds or until finely chopped.
Dry the shrimp. Using the same cleaned skillet, add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the chopped shrimp and cook for about 6-7 minutes periodically stirring until the shrimp is dried, lightly golden brown and fluffy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Mung Beans
Cook the mung beans. Rinse the mung beans until the water runs clear. Then place the mung beans in a rice cooker with 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix until combined. Cook in the rice cooker like you are cooking rice. Once cooked, mash the mung beans in the rice cooker and set aside. If the mung beans are dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water.
Green Onions
Prepare the green onion. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the green onion, oil and salt for 2 minutes or until the green onions soften.
Dipping sauce
Mix together. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the reserved shrimp water, fish sauce, coconut water, garlic cloves, sugar, lime juice and bird’s eye chili. Set aside.
Steam and assemble
Steam the banh beo. Fill your steamer basket 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil. Grease each small 3 inch plate with vegetable oil and place them into your steamer. Mix up your batter and pour it into a measuring cup with a pour spout. Gently pour the batter into the dishes halfway, cover and steam on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes or until set.
Assemble. Add a small dollop of mung bean, dried shrimp, few pieces of green onion with a drizzle of scallion oil, and crispy fried shallots on top of each dish. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!
Notes
If the mung beans are dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water at a time and mix until the mung beans have a mashed potato-like consistency.
Save the shrimp water. Remember to save the shrimp stock after you cook the shrimp for the dipping sauce. This will create a more well-rounded umami flavor in the dipping sauce.
Let the batter rest for a minimum of 1 hour. Letting the batter rest, gives time for the rice flour to absorb the liquid and fully incorporate it into the batter.
Steam on medium-high heat. Make sure the steamer is not too hot that it will boil the steamed rice cakes.
Different sized containers will yield different cook times. I used small 3-inch wide and 1/2 inch thick plates for this recipe which took 4 minutes to steam. If you use thicker plates or muffin tins and fill them higher it may take up to 7-8 minutes to steam. You will know if they are done steaming when the entire plate is set and the tops are slightly sticky and springy.
Thanks for the great recipe, I can’t wait to try it.
I was wondering if one could steam the rice cakes in an instant pot, somehow? It would save me needing to buy a steamer.
Thanks again!
I haven’t tried using an instant pot for steaming yet, but after a quick google search, there seems to be a lot of information on doing so. Let me know if it works out for you!
Thanks for the great recipe, I can’t wait to try it.
I was wondering if one could steam the rice cakes in an instant pot, somehow? It would save me needing to buy a steamer.
Thanks again!
Connie
Hi Connie,
I haven’t tried using an instant pot for steaming yet, but after a quick google search, there seems to be a lot of information on doing so. Let me know if it works out for you!