Vietnamese Steamed Rice Cakes (Printable)
Delicate Vietnamese steamed rice cakes with savory shrimp, scallion oil, and crispy shallots offering perfect taste and texture balance.
# What You'll Need:
→ Rice Cakes
01 - 1 cup rice flour
02 - 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
03 - 1 1/2 cups water
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
05 - 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
→ Shrimp Topping
06 - 7 ounces raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon sugar
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
11 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
→ Scallion Oil
12 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
13 - 2 scallion stalks, finely sliced
→ Garnishes and Dipping Sauce
14 - 2 tablespoons crispy fried shallots
15 - 2 tablespoons mung bean paste (optional)
16 - 2 tablespoons fish sauce
17 - 1 tablespoon sugar
18 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
19 - 2 tablespoons water
20 - 1 small red chili, finely sliced
# How to Make It:
01 - Whisk together rice flour, tapioca starch, water, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon oil in a bowl until completely smooth. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes to allow proper hydration.
02 - Finely chop the peeled shrimp. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the chopped shallot until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped shrimp, salt, sugar, and pepper. Stir-fry until shrimp are fully cooked and slightly dry, approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small pan until hot but not smoking. Pour the hot oil over sliced scallions in a heatproof bowl. Mix gently and set aside to infuse.
04 - Bring water in a steamer to a boil. Lightly grease small 3-inch ceramic dishes or ramekins. Stir the rested batter and pour approximately 2 tablespoons into each greased dish, creating a thin layer. Arrange dishes in the steamer, cover, and steam for 7-8 minutes until cakes are set and translucent. Remove from steamer and let cool slightly before unmolding.
05 - Combine fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, water, and sliced chili in a small bowl. Stir vigorously until sugar completely dissolves. Adjust balance to taste if needed.
06 - Top each steamed rice cake with a small spoonful of cooked shrimp mixture. Drizzle with scallion oil, sprinkle with crispy fried shallots, and add mung bean paste if using. Serve immediately while warm with dipping sauce on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The texture alone is reason enough, that impossibly tender bite that yields so effortlessly
- You get to practice the art of balancing flavors, sweet against salty, rich against fresh
02 -
- The batter consistency should be thin like cream, not thick like pancake batter, or your cakes will be dense rather than delicate
- Work quickly when steaming in batches since the batter settles fast and you want all the cakes to cook evenly
03 -
- If you cannot find small heatproof dishes, use silicone cupcake liners which work beautifully and make removal easy
- A splash of coconut milk in the batter adds subtle richness without overpowering the delicate flavor