Banh goi nhan thit is about a crackling shell around a juicy pork and mushroom filling. The hardest part is the crimped edge, since a thick seam stays raw even after the rest has fried.
Rice flour and egg in the dough keep the shell crisp for a long time instead of softening after a few minutes. Rolled with the rim thinner than the middle, the seam crimps neatly. A full 30 minute rest makes the dough easy to roll and stops it shrinking in the oil.
This batch weighs about 1.3kg, at roughly 272 calories per 100g.
Method
Make the dough: mix 250g all purpose flour, 50g rice flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend. Crack 2 eggs into the bowl and mix well.
Add 60ml water a little at a time, mixing as you pour. Knead by hand until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Cover it and rest it for 30 minutes.
Make the filling: mix 500g ground pork with 30g wood ear mushroom, 30g shiitake mushroom, 30g jicama, 30g carrot, 30g onion, 30g shallot, 45g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 50ml fish sauce, 50g oyster sauce and 3g black pepper.
Once the dough has rested, cut it into small pieces, roll them thin and cut out rounds with a cutter. Without a cutter, divide the dough into small balls, press them flat and roll them out, keeping the rim thinner than the middle.
Put the filling in the middle of each round, fold it over, press the edge firmly and crimp it in a rope pattern. A fork pressed along the edge also gives a neat seam.
Heat 200ml oil and fry the pastries a few at a time until golden and crisp on both sides. Lift them onto a rack or a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Tips
Roll the wrapper thinner at the edge than in the middle so the rim of the pastry is not too thick.
Rest the dough for a full 30 minutes and it rolls thin easily without shrinking back.
Deep fry over medium heat so the pastry browns evenly while the filling cooks through.
Eat them hot while the pastry is crisp, with pickles and fresh herbs to cut the richness.
Fold the edge over and press it down firmly, since a loose seam lets the filling burst into the oil.
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.