Name: Bánh tẻ Phú Nhi — northern Vietnamese steamed rice cakes with pork
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 120 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 200 g plain, non-glutinous rice flour; 650 ml water; 15 ml neutral oil; 3 g fine salt; 300 g ground pork shoulder, about 80% lean; 12 g dried wood-ear mushrooms; 60 g shallot, finely minced; 15 ml neutral oil; 15 ml fish sauce; 4 g fine sugar; 1.5 g ground black pepper; 10 banana-leaf pieces, about 20 × 25 cm each; dong leaves may also be used; 5 ml neutral oil for brushing; 10 lengths food-safe cotton kitchen twine; 60 ml warm water; 30 ml fish sauce; 18 g fine sugar; 15 ml lime juice; 4 g garlic, minced; 1 small fresh red chili, finely sliced, optional

Phú Nhi bánh tẻ with pork and wood-ear mushroom in banana leaves — wide landscape serving scene — Slender northern Vietnamese rice cakes with a pale rice wrapper, pork and wood-ear filling, banana leaves and garlic-lime fish sauce. Format 16:9.

Yield 10 slender cakes

Cook time 45 minutes

Passive time 40 minutes

Total time About 2 hours

Calories About 390 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Bánh tẻ Phú Nhi — northern Vietnamese steamed rice cakes with pork

Bánh tẻ Phú Nhi is a slender rice cake associated with Sơn Tây, west of Hanoi. Its soft, smooth rice wrapper contrasts with a savoury filling of minced pork, wood-ear mushroom and shallot. Regional accounts describe different leaf combinations and both steaming and boiling; this measured home version follows the steamed preparation in the ranked topic and uses banana leaves for accessibility. It uses plain rice flour as a practical substitute for the traditional soaked-and-ground rice process, so the measurements are a home formulation rather than a claim of one canonical recipe.

Practical

Tips for successUse plain, non-glutinous rice flour; glutinous rice flour makes a different, stickier wrapper. Rehydrate and finely mince the wood-ear mushrooms so they distribute evenly through the filling. Stir the rice batter continuously while it thickens. Stop when it is smooth, pliable and shapeable rather than fully dry. Keep the filling cool enough to handle and not wet; moisture can make the wrapper split. Tie the leaf gently so the rice dough has room to expand. Check the thickest cake with a thermometer: ground pork must reach 71°C / 160°F.

Ingredients

Rice wrapper

200 g plain, non-glutinous rice flour
650 ml water
15 ml neutral oil
3 g fine salt

Pork and wood-ear filling

300 g ground pork shoulder, about 80% lean
12 g dried wood-ear mushrooms
60 g shallot, finely minced
15 ml neutral oil
15 ml fish sauce
4 g fine sugar
1.5 g ground black pepper

Wrapping

10 banana-leaf pieces, about 20 × 25 cm each; dong leaves may also be used
5 ml neutral oil for brushing
10 lengths food-safe cotton kitchen twine

Garlic-lime fish sauce

60 ml warm water
30 ml fish sauce
18 g fine sugar
15 ml lime juice
4 g garlic, minced
1 small fresh red chili, finely sliced, optional

Method

Soak the dried wood-ear mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes until fully expanded. Drain, trim away any tough centres and mince finely. If using frozen banana leaves, thaw them. Wipe the leaves clean, cut ten 20 × 25 cm rectangles and briefly dip them in hot water or warm them over low heat until pliable. Keep the raw pork refrigerated until cooking.
Heat 15 ml oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the shallot for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the ground pork and break it into small pieces. Cook until no pink remains and the thickest portion reaches 71°C / 160°F. Add the mushrooms, fish sauce, sugar and pepper; cook for 3–4 minutes until evenly mixed and not wet. Transfer to a plate and cool briefly.
Whisk the rice flour, water and salt until smooth. Leave to hydrate for 20 minutes. Pour into a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring and scraping continuously, for 10–14 minutes until it becomes a thick, smooth, pliable paste that can be shaped. Stir in 15 ml oil, remove from the heat and keep stirring for 1 minute.
Lay one leaf smooth-side up and brush lightly with a little of the 5 ml oil. With damp or lightly oiled hands, spread about one-tenth of the warm rice paste into a narrow strip, roughly 5 × 14 cm. Place about one-tenth of the filling down its centre. Fold the leaf over the filling and roll into a slender cylinder about 15 cm long; tuck the ends under. Tie gently with kitchen twine. Repeat to make 10 cakes.
Arrange the cakes seam-side down in a steamer, leaving space for steam to circulate. Once the water boils steadily, cover and steam for 25–30 minutes. The leaves will darken and the wrapper should look set and slightly translucent. Check the centre of the thickest cake; the pork must reach 71°C / 160°F. If needed, steam in 3-minute increments and check again.
For the dip, stir the warm water and sugar until dissolved. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic and optional chili. Taste for a balanced sweet-salty flavour with gentle acidity, then divide among small bowls.
Rest the cakes for 5 minutes. Serve warm in their leaves with the dipping sauce. Unwrap and cut into bite-size pieces at the table.

Practical

Practical guidance

Make ahead: The filling can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated promptly. Assemble and steam the cakes on the day of serving for the best wrapper texture. Storage: Refrigerate cooked cakes in shallow covered containers within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F). Keep at or below 4°C / 40°F and use within 3 days. Reheating: Steam until hot throughout; check leftovers reach 74°C / 165°F. Leaves: Dong leaves are associated with some Phú Nhi preparations. Banana leaves are a practical alternative; warm either type until flexible before wrapping.

Troubleshooting

Lumpy batter: Whisk the flour into the water before heating and scrape the pan continuously, especially at the corners. Batter too stiff to shape: While it is warm, stir in warm water 1 tablespoon at a time. Leaves split: Warm them briefly until flexible and avoid overfilling or tying too tightly. Filling is wet: Cook it a little longer to evaporate excess moisture, then cool before wrapping. Centre below 71°C: Return the cake to the steamer for 3 minutes and check again with a clean thermometer.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use dong leaves instead of banana leaves? Yes. Both are described in regional accounts. Rinse and warm the leaves until flexible; the aroma and appearance will vary slightly. Can I use cooked rice instead of rice flour? No. This wrapper is made from plain rice flour or soaked-and-ground plain rice; cooked rice will not form the same smooth paste. Why is the batter cooked before wrapping? Gentle thickening makes the rice paste shapeable and helps it form an even wrapper around the filling. Can I boil the cakes? Some regional accounts describe boiling, while others describe steaming. This recipe is timed and tested as a steaming version; boiling may need a different wrapping and timing method.

Nutrition per serving

These are approximate values for the measured recipe and 10 cakes. Fish sauce brand and the amount of dipping sauce used especially affect sodium.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size2 cakes with about 15 ml dipping sauce
CaloriesAbout 390 kcal
CarbohydrateAbout 55 g
ProteinAbout 17 g
FatAbout 11 g
FibreAbout 2 g
SodiumAbout 900 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains fish through the fish sauce. Check packaged ingredients for other allergens or cross-contact. Keep raw pork at or below 4°C / 40°F and separate from ready-to-eat foods. Cook ground pork to 71°C / 160°F and check the centre of the thickest cake after steaming; continue cooking if needed. Do not partially cook the pork and refrigerate it to finish later. Refrigerate cooked cakes within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C / 90°F, and use within 3 days. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F throughout.

Enjoy

Serve the cakes warm with garlic-lime fish sauce and freshly ground pepper.
Cut the unwrapped cakes into short pieces and add them to a light northern Vietnamese snack spread.

Bánh tẻ Phú Nhi — northern Vietnamese steamed rice cakes with pork

Practical

Ingredients

Rice wrapper

Pork and wood-ear filling

Wrapping

Garlic-lime fish sauce

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Enjoy

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