Banh He Chien Trung (Fried Garlic Chive Cakes with Egg), No Added Refined Sugar
Vietnamese dishesFried DishesSouthern Vietnamabout 40 minutes, plus 15 to 20 minutes soaking the batter
These garlic chive cakes come out crisp at the edges, chewy and soft in the middle, and fragrant with chives. Things go wrong when the cake still tastes of raw rice flour, or when the patties are shaped unevenly and cook through in some spots but not others.
The rice flour mixture has to soak for 15 to 20 minutes before it goes on the stove, which is what clears the raw flour taste. Shaping the patties in a metal or plastic ring keeps them all the same size.
This batch weighs about 1.7kg, at roughly 147 calories per 100g.
Method
Pick over the garlic chives, wash them, drain and cut them into lengths of about one finger joint. Peel and seed the papaya and grate it into strips. Peel the carrot and grate it, then keep it with the papaya.
Mix the dipping sauce: put 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 3 teaspoons warm water in a bowl, stir until dissolved and adjust to taste.
Mix 250g rice flour with 35g crispy frying flour. Pour in 500ml water, stir until smooth and leave it to soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
Strain the batter through a sieve, set it over medium heat and stir constantly until it thickens and turns translucent, then turn off the heat.
Spread 100g garlic chives on a work surface, pour the cooked batter over them and knead by hand until the chives are evenly distributed.
Shape the mixture into flat round patties. A metal or plastic ring keeps them even.
Heat 6 tablespoons cooking oil in a pan. Once it is hot, fry 6 to 8 patties until crisp and golden on both sides, then crack in 2 chicken eggs and fry them alongside. Repeat with the remaining batches until all 6 eggs are used.
Arrange the cakes on a plate, top them with the grated papaya and carrot and serve with the soy dipping sauce.
Tips
Soaking the batter for 15 to 20 minutes before it goes on the stove clears the raw rice flour taste.
Shaping the patties in a metal or plastic ring keeps them the same size, so they cook evenly.
Knead the garlic chives in while the batter is still warm, so they hold in place and do not fall out during frying.
Cut the garlic chives into pieces about a finger joint long, since finer cuts bruise them and cost the cakes their aroma.
The oil needs to be properly hot before the patties go in, since cool oil soaks in and leaves them 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.