Recipe: Banh Gio – Pyramidal Rice Dumpling

Banh Gio is a rice dumpling Vietnamese snack known for its signature pyramid shape. The outer layer is made from rice flour that encases a delicious filling made of ground pork, mushrooms and onions. The snack is then wrapped and cooked in banana leaves which adds a fantastic aroma.

Try the Banh Gio recipe below and share them with your friends or family!

Banh Gio Ingredients:

• Flour Mixture

• • 2 cups of corn starch
  • 1 cup of rice flour
  • 5 cups of water
  • 3 tbsp potato starch
  • 4 – 5 cups of chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 1 ¼ tsp salt

• Filling

  • 450g ground pork
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 50g wood ear mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tbsp shallots (minced)
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 5 tsp ground pepper

• Wrappers

  • Banana leaves
  • Aluminium foil

Directions:

Prepare the wrappers

1. Start by washing the banana leaves under running water to clean.
2. Tear the leaves into 10-inch square pieces (depending on the size of dumplings) and remove tough areas that are hard to fold.
3. Then, dip each piece in boiling water for a few seconds to sterilise and soften the leaves.
4. Wipe the leaves with a paper towel leave to dry.

Prepare the filling

1. Start by soaking the wood ear mushroom in hot water to remove dirt. Remove the stems and roughly chop the mushrooms.
2. Season the ground pork with salt, sugar and pepper.
3. Heat the cooking oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced onion until it turns light brown and fragrant.
4. Add the pork and break it apart into small pieces with a spatula. Give it a stir and add more salt and pepper, if necessary.
5. Cook for another 2 minutes, until the pork is cooked through.

Flour Mixture

1. Start by combining the flour, starch and salt into a large bowl. You can strain to avoid lumps.
2. Make a hollow in the centre and whisk the chicken broth, oil, water to form a smooth batter. Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes.
3. Transfer the batter to a non-stick pan and bring it to the stove. Cook on high heat while constantly whisking. When it’s partially cooked, the mixture will resemble a thick dough-like consistency.
4. Once it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat slightly and continue stirring. When the dough reaches a consistency resembling that of mash potatoes, turn off the heat and continue stirring for another 2 minutes until the dough is smooth.
5. Set aside for 5 – 10 minutes to let it cool.

Wrapping & Cooking

1. Start by placing 1 layer of the banana leaf (smoother side up) on top of the 1 layer of aluminium foil (cut 10-inch squares).
2. Add 1 tbsp of flour paste, followed by 2 tbsp of fillings and finally 2 tbsp of paste to cover the filling.
3. To fold, make the edges of the opposite corners meet to form a triangle. Then fold and tuck in the edges to seal the dumpling. If needed, gently press down on the right and left edges to shape.
4. In a steamer pot, add water and bring it to a boil on high heat. add the banh gio to the steamer rack and let it cook for about 40 minutes. Take the dish out and let it cool for about 10 minutes – this will allow the banh gio to maintain its shape.
5. Open the foil and banana leaf and enjoy!

Banh Gio Recipe

Your homemade Banh Gio is done and ready to be served! Check out other recipes like Bun Mang Ga (Thick bihun chicken soup) and Crepe Wrap (Banh Xeo) for more delicious Vietnamese cuisines. 

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