How to Make Banh Re (Phan Thiet Sweet Potato Nests)
Sweets and drinksFried CakesVietnamabout 40 minutes
Banh re comes out thin and shatteringly crisp, shaped like a bird's nest. The difficulty is the grating, since uneven shreds burn in one spot and stay raw in another. The nests have to cool completely before the coating goes on.
Evenly grated shreds are what give a flat, tidy surface. The oil covers at least half of each nest and sits at around 160 to 170 degrees C. A mesh ladle presses the shreds into a round, and each side cooks for 3 to 4 minutes before draining on paper towels.
This batch weighs about 595g, at roughly 134 calories per 100g.
Method
Choose fresh sweet potatoes, peel them and rinse them under running water to remove any grit.
Grate 500g sweet potato into fine even shreds with a knife or a shredder so the nests fry crisp and cook evenly.
Pour cooking oil or pork fat into a pan, enough to cover at least half of each nest, and heat it.
Scoop a portion of shreds with a mesh ladle, lower it into the pan and press it into a thin round.
Fry over medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes a side until deep golden, then lift the nests onto paper towels.
Mix 90g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend with 1 teaspoon vanilla. Let the nests cool completely, then dust or coat them with this mixture before serving.
Tips
Hold the oil at around 160 to 170 degrees C.
Oil that is too hot scorches the nests without crisping them through, and oil that is not hot enough leaves them greasy.
An airtight box at room temperature keeps them crisp for 3 to 5 days.
Press the shreds into a round the moment they hit the oil, because a slow hand leaves the nest as loose strands.
The nests must be completely cool before the coating goes on, since a warm nest melts it and turns soft.
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.