Banh Nep Chien (Fried Glutinous Rice Balls with Mung Bean), Sweetened with Monk Fruit
Sweets and drinksFried CakesVietnamabout 3 and a half hours, including soaking the mung beans
These are the childhood snack that keeps people coming back to the fryer. The shell is crisp outside and chewy inside, and the mung bean filling is soft and nutty. The tricky part is sealing the edge, since even a small gap lets the filling burst into the oil.
The filling cooks over low heat until it dries out and holds a ball, and rolling it into 20g portions first makes the wrapping even. Once the dough is kneaded, a damp cloth over the bowl and 15 to 20 minutes of rest do the rest.
This batch weighs about 942g, at roughly 233 calories per 100g.
Method
Soak 200g split mung beans in warm water for 2 to 3 hours until soft, cook them through, then blend or mash them completely smooth.
Mix the mung beans with 90g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 50ml coconut milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the filling dries out and holds a ball. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla if you like. Roll the filling into balls of about 20g.
Mix 300g glutinous rice flour, 50g rice flour, 45g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour in 200ml warm water gradually and stir until the dough comes together and turns smooth.
Knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes until it is soft, smooth and no longer sticks to your hands, adding 1 teaspoon cooking oil to keep it from drying. Cover with a damp cloth and rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into pieces of about 30g. Roll each one into a ball, flatten it, place a ball of filling in the center, then pull the edges over to seal and roll it round again.
Heat enough oil to cover the balls over medium heat. Fry them until golden all over, turning often, then lift them onto paper towels.
Tips
Freshly milled glutinous rice flour works best, since older flour makes the shell dry and hard.
Too many balls in the pan at once drops the oil temperature suddenly.
Press the seam firmly and roll the ball again, because an open seam sends the filling into the oil.
A filling cooked until it thickens and pulls away from the pan is the only one that holds its shape.
Mash the mung beans while they are still hot, since beans mashed cold stay grainy and are hard to roll.
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.