Just like many other traditional pastries, Bánh căn is made from rice flour. However, to make a truly delicious Bánh căn that captures the authentic taste of Nha Trang, it’s essential to harmonize elements like choosing good-quality rice, having the optimal baking temperature, a unique dipping sauce, and enticing side dishes.
Bánh căn is a popular dish in Nha Trang and the southern central provinces of Vietnam. This dish varies in each province, primarily due to the fillings and accompanying dipping sauce.
The basic components of Bánh căn are the cakes themselves and a sweet and sour fish sauce mixed with scallions
Nevertheless, generally speaking, most places have a similar method for making the cakes and the sweet and sour fish sauce. Below, we will guide you on how to make traditional Bánh căn – a distinctive dish of the Nha Trang people and a representative culinary delight of the southern central region.
Ingredients for Bánh căn
1.5kg bloomed rice, 200g dried old rice, 200g scallions, 1 tomato, 1/4 pineapple, chilies, garlic. Fillings like squid, shrimp, quail eggs. Accompanying vegetables include shredded carrots, green mango, and cucumber.
It’s best to choose small-sized squid (also known as “milk squid”). For shrimp, remove the intestines but you can keep the shell. You can add other ingredients if you like.
Basic ingredients for making Bánh căn and dipping sauce
How to make authentic Nha Trang-style Bánh căn at home
Step 1: Soak the rice and dried cooked rice
Choose bloomed rice and soak it for 3 hours. The dried old rice should also be bloomed rice and should be a bit dried out. Place the rice in a bowl and pour water to soak it until it expands.
Mix the soaked dried rice and the pre-soaked rice and then grind them
After soaking the rice for 3 hours, clean it and let it drain. Take the soaked dried rice, mix it with the regular rice, and then grind this mixture.
Usually, you don’t need to add more water to the ground mixture
Step 2: Making the Bánh Căn
To make Bánh căn, you need a specialized stove and mold for the dish. These molds are widely available online and in markets.
Place the cake mold on a tray and heat it up. Using a small diagonal-cut banana leaf or an oil brush, apply a thick layer of cooking oil to the bottom of the molds to prevent sticking. When the oil begins to smoke, it indicates that the mold has reached the ideal temperature to pour in the batter.
The batter level should be about 1/3 of the mold’s depth
Before pouring, ensure you stir the batter well. The batter height should not exceed 1/3 of the mold. Once you pour the batter, continue by adding ingredients like squid, shrimp, quail eggs, or minced meat, and then cover it with a lid.
Add the fillings, cover with the lid, and grill for about 1.5 minutes
Maintain a moderate heat, baking the cakes for approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds. Afterwards, use a small spatula to gently lift the cakes out. Once you’ve removed the cakes from the mold, continue making the rest in the same manner until all the batter is used up.
Step 3: Making scallion oil
Pour about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil or fat into a pan and bring it to a boil. Add finely chopped green onions. Stir until the onions slightly wilt, then remove from heat.
A delicious bánh căn cannot be complete without scallion oil
Step 4: Making the dipping sauce for bánh căn
Here’s the specific method for making the dipping sauce:
Tomatoes, pineapple, garlic, and chili, finely minced, sugar, purified water, and fish sauce are the ingredients needed for the dipping sauce
Cut the pineapple into appropriate sizes and squeeze to extract the juice. The pulp is then minced and added directly to the bowl of pineapple juice. Peel and mince the tomatoes. Mince the garlic and chili, then add everything to the pineapple juice bowl. To this mixture, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 100ml of warm water, and 3 tablespoons of fish sauce.
Complete the sauce-making process with fish sauce and stir well
Stir all ingredients together to make a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Adjust the taste with seasonings until it’s just right.
Finishing and enjoying
Once the bánh căn has been made, serve them on a plate with various fresh vegetables. Add a spoon of scallion oil to the dipping sauce and enjoy it with the bánh căn.
A plate of delicious and enticing bánh căn is ready in just a few minutes
Above is the method to make the authentic Nha Trang-style bánh căn. You can easily make it at home for the whole family to enjoy it together.