Vietnamese Tapioca Dumplings (Bánh Bột Lọc)

What is Bánh Bột Lọc?

Bánh bột lọc are chewy, translucent Vietnamese tapioca dumplings from Huế, filled with shrimp and pork belly. They're cooked until clear and served with nước chấm for dipping.

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Vietnamese Tapioca Dumplings (Bánh Bột Lọc)

Print Recipe

Servings 32 dumplings

Ingredients

• 16 oz tapioca flour
• 2 cups boiling water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ lb shrimp sliced
• ½ lb pork belly sliced into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• ⅓ tablespoon sugar
• ¼ tablespoon MSG
• 1 small shallot minced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1½ teaspoon paprika
• banana leaves optional

Instructions

Make the filling

• Slice the pork belly into small pieces and season with half of the fish sauce, sugar, MSG, minced garlic, minced shallot and paprika. In a separate bowl, season the sliced shrimp with the other half. Set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
• Add the pork belly and cook until no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the shrimp and sauté for 1 minute.
• Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes, until everything is fully cooked. Turn off the heat and let cool.

Make the dough

• Add the tapioca flour and salt to a mixing bowl, then slowly pour in 2 cups of boiling water while stirring with a rice paddle. Once it reaches a dough-like consistency, knead with your hands (be careful, it is hot). Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes.
• Keep the dough in a plastic bag so it doesn't dry out while you make the dumplings.

Method 1: Boiled dumplings

• Take a small piece of dough and flatten it into a circle. Add about 1 teaspoon of filling, fold the wrapper in half and pinch the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. While you wait, prepare an ice bath.
• Add the dumplings to the boiling water and cook until they float to the top and turn translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
• Scoop the cooked dumplings into the ice bath to stop the cooking, then drain and transfer to a plate.

Method 2: Steamed in banana leaves

• Cut the banana leaves into rectangles about 6 x 4 inches. Wipe them clean and briefly pass them over a flame or dip in hot water so they're pliable without tearing.
• Place a small piece of dough in the center of a leaf and press it into a thin rectangle. Add about 1 teaspoon of filling along the middle.
• Fold the leaf over so the dough wraps around the filling, then fold in the sides to make a neat packet. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
• Arrange the packets in a steamer over boiling water and steam for 15-20 minutes, until the dough is translucent and fully cooked.

Serve

• Top the dumplings with fried shallots and scallion oil, and serve with nước mắm chấm for dipping. Banana leaf dumplings are served in their leaves. Unwrap as you eat.