Banh Gio (Ash Water Rice Cakes with Sweet Ginger Dip), Sweetened with Monk Fruit
Sweets and drinksFried CakesVietnamAbout 2 hours, not counting the time to soak the beans
Banh gio served with a dip made from kOBE Monk Fruit Blend has a chewy, translucent shell, a nutty mung bean filling and a deep golden fried surface. The rice batter is cooked down thoroughly, so the shell is chewy yet still soft.
Cooking the batter is the hardest part, since a pause lets it catch on the base of the pot and the whole batch takes on a burnt smell. The batter is ready when it turns translucent, clings to the wooden spoon and bubbles up in small blisters. The mung bean filling has to be cooked until the base of the pan shows, or the balls run during frying.
This batch weighs about 1.7kg, at roughly 144 calories per 100g.
Method
Mix 300g plain rice flour, 50g glutinous rice flour and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Pour in 400ml water, stirring constantly until no lumps remain, then beat for about 5 minutes until glossy and smooth and strain it into a large pot.
Cook the batter over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. As it thickens, beat harder, and once it is translucent, smooth, clinging to the spoon and bubbling in small blisters, turn off the heat, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Beat for another 2 to 3 minutes until smooth, tip it onto a tray dusted with a little glutinous rice flour or brushed with oil, cover it with film and let it cool completely.
Soak 200g split mung beans in warm water for 4 to 6 hours, or overnight for the best result. Steam them for 20 to 30 minutes until fully soft, then blend smooth.
Put the mung beans in a pan with 108g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 2 tablespoons cooking oil, cook over medium heat and stir constantly. Once the mixture tightens and the base of the pan shows, pull the pan off the heat, add 1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour slaked in a little cold water and stir it through. Spread the filling on a tray to cool, then divide it into 15 to 20 balls.
Put 400 g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 200ml water in a pot with the juice of half a lemon, bring it to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. Drop a little syrup into a glass of cold water and it is ready when the drop sets. Turn off the heat, and once the syrup cools slightly stir in 1 teaspoon butter until it melts.
Cut the cooled dough into 15 to 20 pieces. Flatten each one into a thin round 8 to 10cm across, place a ball of filling in the middle, fold the dough over to seal it and press it lightly into a flat round.
Heat oil deep enough to cover the cakes to about 160 to 170 degrees C. Slide the cakes in and nudge them with chopsticks a few times during the first 30 seconds so they do not stick to the pot, then leave them alone. Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side, 5 to 7 minutes in total, until they are deep golden and puffed.
Lift the cakes onto a tray lined with paper towel without stacking them. Serve them hot, dipped in the cooled syrup.
Tips
The lemon juice keeps the syrup from crystallizing or catching.
Cooking the filling until the base of the pan shows clearly matters, because a wet filling runs during frying.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so steady stirring and an extra minute of cooking give the filling an even texture.
For a large batch, cool the cakes completely and store them in an airtight box, then fry them a second time over medium heat to bring back the crispness.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.