Bột chiên (pan-fried rice flour cake) is a popular street food in Saigon. Just like my family, this dish has Chinese roots — it’s the Vietnamese interpretation of “chien go” (煎粿). The dish features steamed rice flour cakes that are pan-seared and coated in a thick, molasses-like soy sauce, stitched together by eggs. The best part is the toppings — garlic, green onions, and preserved sweet radish — which add aroma and crunch. Combined, bột chiên is chewy and crunchy in texture, savory and sweet in taste, while the preserved radish and garlic add a good punch. My grandma makes this from scratch, and here is her recipe.
How to make rice flour cake from scratch:
– 200g tapioca starch
– 1lb + 100g of rice flour
– 2L of water
– 1 tbsp oil
– 1/2 tsp salt
1. Mix flour, rice, salt and oil
2. Soak for 3 hours, mixing intermittently
3. Cook the mixture on nonstick pan until it’s half cooked
4. Pack half cooked flour mixture in steam pan
5. Cover with saran wrap
6. Steam for 30 minutes. Doneness test – stick a wooden skewer in the middle of the pan. If it comes out clear, no wet ingredients attached, it it cooked.
Pro tip: Use day old rice flour cake to make this dish. Fresh ones will be too mushy when you pan sear it.
How to make pan-fried rice flour cakes (approximate measurements):
– 4 cups of rice cakes (cut into cubes)
– 2 tbsp of oil (you can add more if the rice cake sticks to the pan)
– 3 tbsp of ABC sauce
– 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
– 2 tbsp preserved sweet radish (minced)
– 2 tbsp green onions
– 4 eggs
Dipping sauce:
– red vinegar
– soy sauce
– sugar
– water
1. Add oil, rice flour cake and ABC sauce to a pan and mix
2. Patiently flip the rice flour cake and cook until there’s a slight crisp
3. If the rice flour cake sticks to the pan, add more oil
4. The rice flour cake should have a dark brown color. If it’s too light, add more ABC sauce
4. When you get it to a color and texture you like, add the toppings (garlic, preserved radish, and green onions)
5. Add eggs, flip to cook eggs thoroughly
6. Optional – saute more garlic, preserved radish and green onions in oil to top the dish
8. For the dipping sauce, melt sugar with hot water. Add in soy sauce and vinegar until you like the way it tastes.
Enjoy!
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