Vietnamese Pyramid Dumpling (Banh Gio) is a common breakfast in Northern Vietnam. Banh Gio directly translates to “pork cake” which unfortunately doesn’t sound too appetizing but don’t let the name fool you. It is a tasty banana-leaf-wrapped pyramid-shaped rice dumpling filled with ground pork, onions, minced woodear mushroom and quail eggs. The banana leaf wrapper imparts a special tea-like aroma and the signature yet subtle green color once steamed.
The batter for Banh Gio is a mixture of rice flour, tapioca starch (corn starch is sometimes used) and a flavorful pork stock. How good a Banh Gio depends on the pork stock. A tasty pork stock will guarantee a tasty Banh Gio. Click here for a delicious homemade pork stock that’s goes great with Banh Gio.
The flour mixture is par-cooked on the stove so it gets thick to be easily spread on the banana leave. Get your arms ready because par-cooking the flour mixture requires a bit of stirring. If you don’t stir it enough and let it overcook because you rather browse Reddit instead of watching the pot, then the batter will clump up as in my picture below. No bueno. Do what I say, not what I do.
Some people enjoy Banh Gio plain. Some enjoy them with a bit of soy sauce. Others, like myself, enjoy them with a sweet and sour chili dipping sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham).
Vietnamese Pyramid Dumplings (Banh Gio)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
A popular Northern Vietnamese breakfast, this banana-leaf-wrapped rice dumpling is filled with ground pork, onions, minced woodear mushrooms, and quail eggs.
Ingredients
Rice Batter
- 1 bag Banh Gio flour mix
- 6 cups homemade pork stock
Pork Filling
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1/2 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon chicken or mushroom stock powder
- 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 pinches ground black pepper (about 1/8 teaspoon)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion (7 oz; peel and dice)
- 2 cloves garlic (peel and mince)
- 1/3 cup minced rehydrated Woodear mushrooms
- 2 tablespoon fried shallots (optional)
Other Ingredients
- 8 quail eggs (hard-boiled and peeled)
- 8 12″x12″ banana leaves (blanch each sheet in boiling water for a few seconds to make it pliable)
- Saran wrap
- Sweet and spicy chili dipping sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham)
Instructions
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Prepare the Rice Batter: In a medium pot, mix together the Banh Gio flour mix and pork stock until fully dissolved. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat and stir constantly. As the flour begins to cook, the mixture will thicken. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring until the batter reaches the consistency of creamy mashed potatoes. If clumps form, stir more vigorously to smooth them out. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and set aside.
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Make the Filling: Marinate the ground pork with sugar, stock powder, oyster sauce, and black pepper for at least 15 minutes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft. Add garlic and minced wood ear mushrooms, cooking for another 2-3 minutes. If using fried shallots, mix them in at this stage until well combined.
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Assemble the Dumplings: Follow the diagram below to fold the banana leaf into a pyramid or cone shape. To make handling the sticky rice batter easier, grease a spoon with vegetable oil. Add a thin layer (about 2-3 tablespoons) of rice batter to the center of the banana leaf and spread it out. Use the greased spoon to create a small well in the center. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the pork filling to the well, then cover with another layer of rice batter, smoothing it out evenly.
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Wrap the Dumplings: Fold one non-pointy side of the banana leaf over the filling. Then, working clockwise, fold over the other sides of the banana leaf, tucking in the last fold to secure the dumpling. Wrap the completed dumpling in Saran wrap to prevent leaks during steaming.
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Steam the Dumplings: Place the wrapped dumplings in a steamer and steam for 20 minutes.
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Serve: Enjoy the dumpling plain or have it with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham).
Notes
The pork stock is key to the flavor of the rice batter—don’t skimp on this!
To prevent the batter from sticking, keep a small dish of vegetable oil nearby to grease your spoon.
Bánh Giò freezes well. To reheat, simply steam from frozen for about 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Breakfast, Snack
- Method: Steam
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
