Banh Ngao (Nghe An Sticky Rice Dumplings in Ginger Syrup), Sweetened with Monk Fruit
Sweets and drinksSweet SoupsVietnamAbout 40 minutes
Banh ngao from Nghe An is a bowl of chewy sticky rice dumplings sitting in warm kOBE Monk Fruit Blend fragrant with ginger. Shaping them is the tricky part: too large and a few pieces are already too much, too small and they break apart in the pot.
The dumplings boil separately for 2 to 3 minutes until they float, cook another 1 to 2 minutes, then rest in water so they do not stick together before going into the kOBE Monk Fruit Blend.
This batch weighs about 1.1kg, at roughly 88 calories per 100g.
Method
Put 200g glutinous rice flour in a bowl with 1/5 tablespoon coarse salt and 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Pour in 120ml boiling water little by little and knead until the dough no longer sticks to the hands. Rest the dough for 10 minutes.
Peel and wash 70g ginger, cut it into thin strips and soak it in lightly salted water for 10 minutes to soften its bite.
Knead the dough once more, divide it into equal small pieces and shape each into a cocoon about 3 to 4cm long.
Bring water to a boil and cook the dumplings for 2 to 3 minutes. Once they float they are cooked, so give them another 1 to 2 minutes, then lift them into a bowl of water so they do not stick.
Set a pot on the stove with 500ml water and 200ml kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, stir well and turn on the heat. Add the ginger strips.
When the mixture boils, lower the heat and cook for 2 more minutes, then add the boiled dumplings and simmer gently for another 2 minutes before turning off the heat.
Tips
Medium sized dumplings work best, because large ones get heavy quickly.
A gentle stir with chopsticks as the dumplings go in keeps them off the bottom of the pot.
Soaking the ginger in lightly salted water for 10 minutes takes the sharp edge off before cooking.
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.