Bánh Bột Chiên (Vietnamese Fried Rice Flour Cake)

Bánh bột chiên, a street food from southern Vietnam, is a crispy and savory rice flour cake that’s perfect for snacking or a light meal. With a few simple ingredients and steps, you can easily make Vietnamese rice cakes at home!

Bot chien is my favorite childhood dish. If we were lucky, sometimes the Vietnamese shops had a pre-made version we could heat up at home. Wanting to recreate it, I decided to make my favorite snack from scratch.

What is bột chiên?

In Vietnamese, bột means “flour” or “dough,” and chiên means “fried.” It literally means “fried dough”.

Bot chien is a popular Vietnamese street food made from rice flour cakes that are pan-fried until crispy and golden brown. These savory cakes are typically cut into bite-sized pieces and stir-fried with eggs, creating a deliciously crunchy exterior and soft interior.

Bot chien is often garnished with fresh herbs, green onions, and pickled vegetables and served with a tangy soy-based dipping sauce, making it a flavorful and satisfying snack or light meal.

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.

Equipment Needed

• Measuring Cup
• Measuring Spoons
• Whisk
• Large mixing bowl: If you are using the microwave method, you will need a large microwave-safe bowl to mix all of the ingredients. 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.

Gather These Ingredients

For the Steamed Rice Cakes:

• 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:

• 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 ⬇️ to the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.

Let’s Make Some Fried Rice Cakes!

1. Pickle the carrots and daikon. Mix carrots, daikon, white vinegar, sugar, and salt in a jar or bowl. Cover and set it aside in the fridge for later.
2. Make the rice flour cake batter. 

1. 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).

1. Fry the rice flour cake with eggs. When ready to eat, cut the rice cakes into 1/2-inch strips, then cut the strips into 1 1/2-inch cubes or rectangles. Season the rice cake cubes with 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce. In a pan, over medium-high heat, add oil and 1 cup of rice cake cubes. 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,
2. Crack 2 eggs into the pan and add the scallions. Lightly move the eggs around so that they cook evenly. Let it cook until the eggs are cooked through, flipping if desired. Transfer to a plate.
3. Repeat this step for the rest of the rice flour cakes.

1. 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.

Serving Suggestions

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 most time-consuming part of this recipe. When a craving for bot chien strikes but you don’t have hours to spare, there’s a convenient shortcut: you can buy frozen or pre-made rice cakes to save time.

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 also carry the “bột chiên” flour mix. To steam it, follow the directions on the back of the package.

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: These are denser than radish cakes. They come in a block, and you can easily cut them into rectangular pieces before frying. Fried taro cakes are my favorite!
• Turnip Cakes (also known as radish cakes): These are made with shredded radish. The radish comes in a block, so you can cut it into slices before pan-frying.

My favorite alternative to rice flour cake is either taro or turnip cakes, which 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