Bánh Bột Chiên (Vietnamese Fried Rice Flour Cake)

Bánh bột chiên or bột chiên trúng (Vietnamese Fried Rice Flour Cake with Eggs) is crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. The fried rice flour cake is made by frying steamed rice flour cake cubes with eggs, scallions, and other seasonings. It is usually served with a sweet soy and vinegar dipping sauce and pickled carrots and daikon.

With its crunchy texture and delicious flavor profile, it's no wonder why it has become such a beloved favorite among locals and tourists alike! Growing up, this was my all-time favorite Vietnamese dish.

What is bột chiên?

In Vietnamese, bột means "flour" or "dough," and chiên means "fried." It literally means "fried dough". It is a popular Vietnamese dish that consists of fried rice cakes and eggs. The dish's origin dates back to the early 20th century, around 1910, when it was first introduced by Chinese immigrants in Vietnam. Originating in the bustling port city of Hoi An, it has become a beloved street food staple throughout Vietnam.

The main ingredients for the steamed rice cakes are rice and tapioca flour, salt, and water. When the cubed rice cakes are cooked in hot oil, it forms a crispy golden-brown crust on the outside and remains fluffy on the inside. To add flavor and texture, other ingredients such as pork fat, scallions, and garlic may be added to the mixture. The egg is usually added on top of the cake and fried until it has a light golden color.

The ingredients used to make this varies from region to region, but the main components remain the same – slices of rice cakes, beaten eggs, scallions, garlic, soy sauce, and sugar. Depending on where it is being made, other ingredients like shrimp, squid, pork sausage, or pork floss can be added to increase flavor.

Over time, bột chiên has seen many different variations from around the world, with slight changes in ingredients and preparation methods. In Thailand, for example, the dish is made with thick slices of rice cakes stir-fried with eggs and vegetables, seasoned with fish sauce and sugar. In Hong Kong, it is served as a breakfast item, featuring small pieces of fried rice cake mixed with scrambled eggs. In the United States, some restaurants have even adapted the dish to include sausage or shrimp.

With a few simple ingredients and steps, it's easy to make Vietnamese rice cakes at home, allowing you to enjoy this classic dish without leaving your kitchen!

Equipment Needed

• Measuring Cup
• Measuring Spoons
• Whisk
• Large mixing bowl: If you are doing the microwave method, you will need a large microwave-safe bowl to mix all of the ingredients together. Skip the bowl if you're heating the ingredients up in a saucepan.
• Steamer pot: Use a steamer pot that is large enough in diameter to fit a pan. You can also use any pot with a lid that you have at home and place a metal rack down. The goal is to steam the rice cakes and not let the pan submerge in the boiling water.
• Round or Square Pan: I like using a round pan because it fits into the steamer, but any shape pan will do as long as it fits inside the steamer.

Ingredients

For the Rice Flour Cake:

• Rice Flour: Use white rice flour (bột gạo). This can be found at your local grocery store in the baking section or at an Asian supermarket. Do not use glutinous (or sweet) rice flour. This gives it a different texture.
• Tapioca Starch (bột năng): If you can't find tapioca starch at the store, look for tapioca flour. It is essentially the same thing, but different brands name their products differently.
• Vegetable Oil: Use vegetable, avocado, or olive oil. Any of these will work.
• Water
• Salt

For Frying the Rice Flour Cake:

• Soy Sauce: I like using Maggi seasoning soy sauce, but any brand of soy sauce will do.
• Avocado Oil: Used so that the ingredients do not stick to the pan. Any high-heat oil will work.
• Eggs: Use about 1-2 eggs per serving.
• Spring Onions: Optional, but it adds a nice flavor to the dish.

The pickled vegetables for bot chien usually consist of either carrots and daikon or green papaya. You'll need vinegar, sugar, and salt to pickle the vegetables. It is best to do this first and leave it in the fridge so that the vegetables have some time to soak in the flavors.

The bot chien dipping sauce is pretty simple. For a sweet and tangy sauce, all you need is soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. To make it spicy, add Bird's eye chili (Thai chili).

⬇️ Please scroll down to the recipe card to see the full ingredient amounts and instructions ⬇️

How to Make Vietnamese Rice Cake | Cách Làm Bột Chiên

Step 1: Pickle the carrots and daikon. In a jar or bowl, mix together carrots, daikon, white vinegar, sugar, and salt. Cover and set it aside, in the fridge, for later.

Step 3: Steam the rice flour cake. Grease two 6-inch pans (or one 9-inch pan) with oil and divide the batter into each pan. Pat the batter down (Tip: cover with plastic wrap and press/smooth the batter down. Then, remove the plastic wrap. The plastic wrap prevents it from sticking to your hands). Cover the pans with foil. Use a steamer or a pot large enough to fit the pans, add 2 cups of water to the pot, place the pans in, and cover with a lid. Steam for 20 minutes. Once it is done steaming, let it cool off, remove it from the pan, and place it in the fridge (for best results, leave it in the fridge overnight or for at least 4-6 hours before cutting).

Step 4: Fry the rice flour cake with eggs. When ready to eat, cut the rice flour cakes into ½-inch strips, then cut the strips into 1 ½-inch cubes or rectangles. Season the rice cake cubes with ½ tablespoon of soy sauce. In a pan, over medium-high heat, add oil, and 1 cup of rice flour cakes. Fry the rice flour cake on one side for 2-3 minutes, until lightly golden and crispy. Then, flip the rice flour cakes, add more oil if needed, crack 2 eggs into the pan, and add the scallions. Lightly move the eggs around so that they can cook evenly. Let it cook until the eggs are cooked through, flip, if desired. Transfer it to a plate. Repeat this step for the rest of the rice flour cakes.

Step 5: Make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar.

Serve. Garnish the rice flour cakes with scallions and serve it with a side of pickled carrots and daikon (or green papaya), and dipping sauce.

Helpful Tips

• The size of the pan for steaming does not matter, choose a small enough pan that will fit inside your steamer and fill it between 1 to 1 ½-inch thickness (If it is too thick, it will take a long time to cook. If it is too thin, it will easily break apart). If you do not have a pot large enough to fit two pans at a time, cook one batch at a time.
• Grease the pan with oil or use parchment paper to line the pan.
• After pouring the rice flour cake batter into the pan, cover it with plastic wrap and press/smooth the batter down. Then, remove the plastic wrap. The plastic wrap prevents it from sticking to your hands. Another option is to wet your hands or a spatula to press it down.
• To test if the rice flour cakes are done cooking, use a toothpick to poke at the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it means that it is done cooking. If some of the dough is sticking to the toothpick, return the pans to the steamer and let it continue cooking.
• If possible, make the rice cakes the day before or at least 4-6 hours before you're ready to eat. The rice cakes need some time to cool in the fridge before cutting.
• Use 2 eggs for every 1 cup of rice flour cake.

What to serve it with

These Vietnamese rice cakes are often served with various accompaniments that can be tailored to personal preferences. Common sides include pickled vegetables, shredded lettuce and herbs, and a sweet and sour dipping sauce. Pickled daikon radishes and carrots, or pickled green papaya provide a tart and salty flavor contrast to the savory cake while giving it a subtle crunch.

Buying Pre-made Rice Cakes

Making the rice cake is the longest process in this recipe. Sometimes you have a craving for bot chien but don't have time to make it from scratch and wait a few hours. I don't blame you! Did you know that you can save some time by buying frozen or pre-made rice cakes?

If you live close to a large Vietnamese population, you can find pre-made rice cakes for bột chiên in the frozen section or refrigerated section of a Vietnamese grocery store. If you live in the DMV (DC, MD, VA) area, you might have some luck finding it at Eden Center in Falls Church, VA.

Some Asian grocery stores will also carry the "bột chiên" flour mix. All you have to do is follow the directions on the back of the package to steam.

If you can't find any of these, you can substitute the rice cakes for something else.

Rice Cake Substitutes:

• Korean Rice Cakes: These come in many different shapes and sizes, which affects their texture. The larger, cylindrical ones are chewy and the thinly sliced ones are significantly less chewy. I prefer the sliced ones since bot chien is light and fluffy on the inside.
• Taro Cakes: This is denser than radish cakes. It comes in a block and you can easily cut it into rectangular pieces before frying. Fried taro cakes are my favorite!
• Turnip Cakes (also known as radish cakes): These are made with shredded radish. It also comes in a block so you can cut it into slices before pan-frying.

My favorite alternative for rice flour cake is either taro cakes or turnip cakes since it closely resemble it. I found these at my local Asian grocery store.

How to store leftovers

Before storing, it’s essential to cool the fried rice cakes completely and evenly, as reheating them too quickly can cause sogginess. If possible, wrap each piece individually in cling wrap or parchment paper before storing it in an airtight container. This prevents it from sticking together. It can then be kept in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Reheat

• Stove: When ready to eat, simply reheat in a pan over medium-high heat until it is hot and crispy again!
• Microwave: Place the bot chien on a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 2-3 minutes until warm.
• Air Fryer: If you have an air fryer, this is one of the best ways to reheat the bot chien. Pre-heat to 350°F and air fry for 5-6 minutes until warm and crispy.

Bột chiên is an easy, delicious, and versatile dish that will please everyone. Whether you are serving it as an appetizer or a main course, this classic Vietnamese fried rice cake will surely impress! So why not give it a try today?

RECIPE

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