Destination
Hue
The story
Bánh nậm is another of Hue's classical royal court snacks and a close cousin of bánh bột lọc. Where bánh bột lọc uses a translucent tapioca dough shaped into half-moon dumplings, bánh nậm uses a soft white rice-flour batter spread flat and topped with a small mound of the same pork and shrimp filling. The flat rectangle is wrapped in a piece of banana leaf, folded into a small parcel, and steamed until the batter has set into a soft, slightly sticky cake with the filling embedded on top. Served in stacks with fish sauce dipping sauce, scallion oil and fried shallots. Sold at every Hue market and often served alongside bánh bột lọc and bánh bèo as part of a Hue small-plates spread.
Method
Warm oil in a pan. Cook shallots and garlic 2 minutes. Add pork; cook 5 minutes. Add prawns; cook 90 seconds. Add fish sauce, sugar, pepper and salt. Cook 3 more minutes until the mixture is glossy. Cool.
In a saucepan, whisk rice flour, tapioca starch, salt, water and oil until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture thickens into a heavy paste that pulls from the sides of the pan. Off the heat.
Pass each banana leaf square briefly over a gas flame to soften and release aroma. Wipe with a damp cloth.
Working with each square: place shiny-side down. Spread 2 tbsp of the rice batter in a thin 6 x 4cm rectangle in the middle. Top with 1 heaped tsp of filling, pressing gently into the batter.
Fold the long sides of the leaf over the batter to make a rectangle. Fold the short ends over to make a neat parcel about 10 x 5cm. Turn seam-side down.
Arrange parcels in a steamer basket. Steam over vigorous heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the batter is fully set.
Whisk all sauce ingredients until sugar dissolves.
Serve the parcels warm, still in their banana leaves. Diners unwrap each parcel, drizzle with scallion oil and fried shallots, and dip into the sauce.
Tips
- Cook the batter until it pulls from the pan. This is the target consistency. Under-cooked batter is runny and does not hold shape.
- Thin batter layer. A 3mm-thick layer is the target. Too thick and the cake is stodgy.
- Fresh banana leaves. The aroma is essential.
- Serve warm. Best within 30 minutes of steaming. Reheat by re-steaming.
- Pair with bánh bột lọc. The classical Hue small-plates spread has both, plus bánh bèo.
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