Tapioca Shrimp Dumplings (Bánh Bột Lọc)
Bánh bột lọc Say it: bahn boht LAWK
Bánh bột lọc is a specialty of Huế, the old imperial capital of central Vietnam, where vendors sell these small glassy dumplings by the dozen. Each one is a chewy, translucent pocket of tapioca starch wrapped around a nugget of shrimp and pork belly, then boiled or steamed inside a banana leaf. The texture is springy and faintly sticky, the filling salty-sweet and peppery, and everything is dunked in a sharp chili-lime fish sauce. They turn up at breakfast, as an afternoon snack, and on festive trays.
Tapioca Shrimp Dumplings (Bánh Bột Lọc)
Bánh bột lọc
Pronounced bahn boht LAWK
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish, shellfish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Filling
Dough
Wrapping and serving
Method
Mix the pork, shrimp, shallots, fish sauce, sugar, pepper and annatto oil in a bowl and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.
Heat the 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the filling and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the shrimp curl and turn opaque pink and the pork is just cooked through. Spread on a plate to cool completely.
For the dough, whisk the tapioca starch and salt in a large bowl, then pour in the boiling water in a steady stream while stirring with a wooden spoon until a shaggy mass forms.
While still warm, knead the dough on a lightly oiled surface for about 5 minutes, until it is smooth, glossy and pliable and no longer cracks at the edges. Cover with a damp cloth.
Pass each banana leaf round briefly over a flame or dip it in hot water to soften, wipe dry and brush one side with oil.
Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough (about 1 tbsp / 20 g), roll it into a ball and flatten it on an oiled surface into a 3 in (7.5 cm) round. Place 1 tsp of filling in the center, fold in half and press the edges firmly to seal.
Set each dumpling on an oiled banana leaf, fold the leaf over it, tuck in the sides and fold into a flat parcel; repeat with the rest.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and cook the parcels in batches for 7–8 minutes, until they float to the surface and the dough is completely translucent with no white patches. Lift out and drain, or steam them for 15 minutes instead.
Stir the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, water, garlic and chili together until the sugar dissolves. Unwrap the warm dumplings, drizzle with the hot scallion oil, scatter over the fried shallots and serve with the dipping sauce.
Regional variant: Bánh bột lọc trần (naked boiled dumplings)
Skip the banana leaves: shape the filled dumplings into half-moons, drop them straight into boiling water and cook 6–7 minutes until they float and turn clear. Lift them out, rinse briefly in cool water so they don't stick, toss with scallion oil and serve the same dipping sauce on the side. They are eaten with a fork or chopstick rather than unwrapped, and the dough is sometimes made with 2 tbsp rice flour added for a slightly firmer bite.
Cook's notes
- Knead the dough while it is still warm; if it crumbles, work in a splash of boiling water, and if it is sticky, dust with a little tapioca starch.
- Do not overfill the dumplings and press the seam hard — a loose seal lets water in and the parcels burst.
- Cook in small batches so the water keeps boiling; a crowded pot gives gluey, torn dumplings.
Serve with
A bowl of chili-lime fish sauce (nước chấm), scallion oil, fried shallots and fresh herbs such as mint and coriander.
Make ahead and storage
Unboiled dumplings freeze well on a tray for up to 1 month and boil straight from frozen; boiled dumplings keep 1 day chilled and are best reheated by steaming.
