Banh Duc Nong (Hot Savory Rice Cake Bowl)

Method

1. Fry 15g minced shallot and 15g minced garlic in 2 tablespoons cooking oil until fragrant.
2. Add 150g ground pork and stir fry with 15g shiitake mushroom and 15g wood ear mushroom, both soaked soft and finely chopped. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon seasoning powder and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
3. Mix the sauce: pour 400ml boiling water into a bowl, add 54g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 40ml fish sauce, stir until dissolved and leave to cool. Stir in 10g minced garlic and 10g minced chili.
4. Whisk 160g rice flour, 100g tapioca starch and 40g glutinous rice flour with 1.4 liters water until completely smooth, then set the pot over the heat.
5. Stir constantly over low heat until the batter thickens, then add 20ml cooking oil. Turn off the heat once the batter turns translucent.
6. Ladle into bowls, spoon the pork over the top, scatter fried shallots and a few sprigs of cilantro, then pour over the sauce and eat hot.

Tips

• Mix the flour into the water until completely smooth before it goes on the stove, or it will turn lumpy.
• Make the fish sauce and the pork filling first and stir the batter last so the cake is served hot.
• Mix the three flours together dry before adding water, since adding water to each one separately makes lumps.
• Stir over low heat without stopping, as batter catching on the base picks up a burnt smell.
• Add 20ml of cooking oil once the batter has thickened, and it turns glossy and does not stick to the bowl.
• Turn off the stove once the batter turns translucent, as overstirring leaves it hard when cool.