How to make delicious and easy steamed tapioca dumplings with minced meat and wood ear mushrooms

How to make Clear Tapioca Cake with Wood Ear Mushroom Filling

• 1

  Mixing the dough

  Add 400g of tapioca flour into a bowl, gradually pour in 200ml of boiling water while continuously stirring the flour to absorb the water. Use chopsticks to stir for a while until the water cools down, then knead the dough with your hands until it is evenly mixed and smoother.

  Knead the dough until it becomes a smooth and pliable ball that does not stick to your hands anymore. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap.

  Tips to fix undercooked or runny tapioca dough

  • When adding water to knead the dough, do not pour all the water in at once, as it is difficult to gauge the right amount of water; pouring too much will make the dough watery and unable to hold together.
  • The water used for kneading must be boiling hot to properly knead the dough.

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the filling ingredients

  You soak 100g of wood ear mushrooms in boiling water for about 30 minutes to expand. After that, cut off the stems, wash them a few times to clean and remove the smell, then cut into thin strips and mince finely.

  Shallots and garlic are peeled and minced.

  

  
• 3

  Sauté the mushroom meat filling

  You heat up a pan, then add 1 spoon of cooking oil, then add 1 minced shallot and 2 minced garlic cloves to sauté until fragrant.

  Next, add the ground pork and stir evenly over medium heat. Add 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of seasoning granules, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and finally 1/2 teaspoon of chili paste.

  When the meat has started to firm up, add the wood ear mushrooms and stir for about 5 minutes until fully cooked, adjust the seasoning to taste, and then turn off the heat!

  

  
• 4

  Wrap the translucent tapioca cake

  After the dough is kneaded, to make the cake skin, take a small piece of dough about the size of a marble or slightly larger, roll it into a ball and flatten it really thin.

  Then, gently place the mushroom meat filling inside and use your fingers to shape the cake like the pattern of a clam’s mouth. Continue doing this until all ingredients are used up.

  Note: Make sure to press the edges of the cake tightly together so that they do not open up while boiling!

  

  
• 5

  Boil the cake

  Boil about 1 liter of water. Then, gently drop each cake into the pot and boil for about 5 – 10 minutes over medium heat until the skin of the cake becomes translucent, then take the cake out and place it in a bowl of water for 2 minutes before arranging it on a plate.

  Tip: To prevent the cakes from sticking together, after boiling the cakes, immediately place them in a bowl of water with a little cooking oil.

  

  
• 6

  Making dipping sauce for bánh lọc

  You put 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of clean water, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/2 a lemon into a bowl, then stir well.

  Tip: If you like it spicy, you can add minced chili to the dipping sauce!

  
• 7

  Final product

  After boiling the bánh bột lọc until cooked, arrange the bánh on a plate, add some fried onions, and a little cilantro. Then, pour just enough dipping sauce according to your taste and enjoy.

  Bánh bột lọc has a thin chewy skin, with a delicious filling of meat and wood ear mushrooms, and the dipping sauce is a bit sour and spicy. This dish is wonderful to treat your friends!