How to Make Delicious and Unique Hai Phong Banh Beo with Simple Authentic Flavor

How to make Hai Phong Banh Beo

• 1

  Make a banana leaf mold

  First, you wash the banana leaves thoroughly. Then, briefly blanch the leaves in boiling water to soften them.

  Next, fold the banana leaves in half to create thickness for the mold.

  Then, fold the four edges of the leaves to form a rectangle, using your hands to press firmly to create crease lines.

  Finally, secure the corner edges together with toothpicks to finish.

  Tip: You can also arrange the banana leaves in a deep dish, it is not necessary to create a banana leaf mold.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the ingredients

  Initially, you wash the pork fat with diluted salt water to remove dirt. Then, rinse it clean with water and chop it into small pieces.

  Soak the wood ear mushrooms in water for about 1 hour to soften. Next, rinse them clean and chop finely.

  Peel and finely chop the shallots. Chop the green onions.

  How to properly soak wood ear mushrooms

  • Before soaking the wood ear mushrooms, you should rinse them briefly in cold water to clean off sand and dirt.
  • You should only soak the wood ear mushrooms for a maximum of 3 – 4 hours, do not soak them too long as it may cause the mushrooms to produce toxins harmful to health.
  • You should only soak dried wood ear mushrooms in cold water, do not soak them in hot water as it will produce many substances that are not good for health.

  See details: How to prepare wood ear mushrooms (mộc nhĩ) properly, correctly, and safely

  

  
• 3

  Mix the filling

  Put 250g of ground pork, pork fat, wood ear mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning, and 1/3 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl.

  Use your hands to mix the filling thoroughly and marinate for 10 minutes.

  

  
• 4

  Stir-fry the filling

  Heat a pan on the stove, add a little cooking oil, and chopped shallots, then sauté until golden.

  When the shallots are golden and fragrant, add the marinated meat mixture and continue to stir-fry over medium heat until the filling is fully cooked.

  Once the meat is cooked, you can adjust the seasoning to taste, stir-fry for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.

  Finally, add 1/2 cup of fried shallots, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and mix well once more to finish.

  

  
• 5

  Prepare the batter

  Add 300g of tapioca flour, 150g of regular rice flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and 1.2 liters of warm water at 60 degrees Celsius into a bowl.

  Use a ladle to stir until the flour dissolves, then let it sit for 15 minutes to rest.

  

  
• 6

  Marinate the meatballs

  Add 250g of ground pork, chopped green onions, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper into a bowl. Use your hands to mix well so that the meat mixture absorbs the seasonings evenly.

  

  
• 7

  Cooking Fish Sauce

  Place a pot on the stove, add 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook the mixture over low heat until the sugar melts and turns golden brown.

  At this point, add 500ml of water, 3.5 tablespoons of sugar, 4 tablespoons of fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder.

  When the fish sauce boils, form the meat into balls and drop them into the pot to cook.

  

  

  

  
• 8

  Steaming the Cake

  Boil a pot of water and place a steamer on top, then add a banana leaf mold and pour in the batter about 1/2 of a small finger length.

  Next, evenly spread the stir-fried meat filling on top, cover tightly, and steam the cake for about 20 minutes until cooked.

  

  
• 9

  Finished Product

  Bánh bèo Hải Phòng is soft and chewy, with a flavorful combination of mushrooms and meat, served with a sweet and salty dipping sauce and rich meatballs, making it extremely delicious. This dish is incredibly appealing both in appearance and taste, and you must definitely try it.