Bánh Tẻ: Thin Batter Stirred Into a Heavy Paste
Plain non-glutinous rice flour cooked into a smooth, dense paste, a savory filling of pork, wood ear and shiitake, and the scent of the leaf it is steamed in. Glutinous rice flour gives a different dish.
A pot of thin white liquid sits over very low heat. A spatula keeps moving across the bottom, and slowly the rice-flour batter thickens until it drags heavily on the spatula, smooth and dense. That moment, when liquid turns into paste, is the heart of bánh tẻ, a northern Vietnamese dish in which this cooked rice-flour paste is wrapped around a pork and mushroom filling in leaves and then cooked again.
This article follows one published Vietnamese home recipe that starts from dry rice flour: 200g of rice flour to 800ml of water, rested, then stirred over very low heat, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. In some villages of the north, bánh tẻ is instead made from raw rice that is soaked and ground, and wrapped in other leaves. Those regional methods are described further down as context, not mixed into the recipe here.
This recipe has not been kitchen-tested. It follows the amounts and method of its source recipe without scaling or adjusting them. The source does not state a yield, so no number of parcels or servings is given here.
Ingredients: The Source Recipe, With Seasonings Split Between Filling and Dough
The oil and the two seasonings are divided between the filling and the dough. Both are shown in the table so you can portion them before cooking.
The mushrooms are given as counts and are soaked in warm water, so use dried mushrooms.
Use 2 leaves; each parcel overlaps two roughly A5-paper-size pieces. Buy more leaf than you think you need. Use 10 strings (10gr).
This dish contains raw pork. Keep raw meat, its cutting board and utensils separate from foods that won't be cooked, to avoid cross-contamination. Seasoning granules, seasoned salt and any fish sauce you serve with it differ by product: check each label for ingredients and allergens.
Equipment
- Bowls for soaking the mushrooms and resting the batter
- A whisk for mixing the batter
- A cutting board and knife, plus separate ones (or thorough washing) for raw pork
- A skillet for the filling
- A pot for cooking the batter
- A heatproof spatula, such as a wooden one, that can scrape the bottom of the pot
- A steamer or steaming rack that holds the parcels above the water
- Food-safe tying string (dây buộc): 10 strings
- A kitchen thermometer, for checking that the center meets the stated temperature for the full stated time
Choosing Flour, Mushrooms and Leaves
Rice flour: Use flour made from ordinary non-glutinous rice. Glutinous (sweet) rice flour does not give the same texture, so it is not a substitute in this recipe. Rice flours differ by product; if you make this more than once, change only one condition at a time and note the result.
Shallots: Use shallots. Onion can stand in, but the aroma will change.
Seasonings: If you use a different product for the seasoning granules or seasoned salt, the flavor will change; check its label.
Leaves: Look for banana leaves at Asian grocers or online. Making bánh tẻ without leaves, or with a different wrapper, changes both the aroma and the shape of the parcel. Some regional versions use dong leaves, which are part of a different method and not treated here as equivalent to banana leaves.
Method: Filling, Rested Batter, Wrapping and Steaming
Soak the mushrooms for about 15 minutes, stir-fry for 5–7 minutes after adding them, rest the batter for 1–2 hours and steam for 15–20 minutes. Cooking the paste and wrapping are judged by how they look and feel, not the clock.
Lumps, Scorching, Leaks: Fixing Problems
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Lumps in the paste | Batter not evenly mixed before heating, or stirring paused | Whisk the rested batter again before it goes on the heat, and keep scraping the whole bottom of the pot over very low heat |
| Paste scorches on the bottom | Heat too high, or stirring stopped | Keep the heat very low and stir continuously. Judge doneness by the dense, smooth, heavy texture rather than pushing the heat |
| Filling leaks out | Paste didn't fully cover the filling, or the leaf was too small | Cover the filling completely with paste, overlap two leaf pieces, fold the ends well and tie firmly |
| Not enough leaf | The source's leaf amount is unclear | Have extra banana leaves on hand; the amount needed has not been confirmed |
| Leaves split when folding | Leaves not softened | Briefly blanch them until pliable, then pat them dry |
Serving and Leftovers
Serve bánh tẻ freshly steamed. An optional chili sauce or sweet-and-sour fish sauce dip can go alongside; the AP describes fish sauce dip as one way the dish is eaten in the north.
Don't leave the steamed parcels at room temperature for long. Cool any leftovers quickly and refrigerate them, and reheat them thoroughly before eating. No specific storage period is given here.
Variations Kept Separate From the Recipe
- Dong leaves: Some regional versions wrap bánh tẻ in dong leaves. The aroma changes, and those versions also differ in method, so this is a regional variation rather than a simple swap.
- Sweet-and-sour fish sauce dip: Suggested by the source as a side. No ratio is given, so it is not specified here.
- Chili sauce: Also suggested by the source as a side, without amounts.
- Comparing rice flours: If you try different rice-flour products, change only one thing at a time and keep notes. No comparison results are available.
- The raw-rice regional method: Soaking and grinding raw rice is a separate recipe and should be researched on its own, not combined with this dry-flour method.
Bánh Tẻ in Northern Vietnam: Village Methods and Festive Tables
Bánh tẻ is a northern dish: rice-flour dough around pork and mushroom, wrapped in leaves. The retail recipe followed here describes it as a northern specialty also known as bánh răng bừa, and the AP describes it as a northern steamed rice-flour dish with a filling of mushrooms and ground pork, sometimes eaten with a fish sauce dip. For more dishes from the same country, see Vietnam.
In Làng Chờ, in Bắc Ninh province, a regional tourism source records that bánh tẻ is also called bánh răng bừa, after its shape: thick in the middle and tapering at both ends, like the teeth of a harrow, a farming tool. There it is eaten at festivals, at Tết (the lunar new year), at weddings and funerals, and is sold in shops. The village method starts from raw rice soaked for about 5 hours and ground, sometimes with lime water, and the ground dough has its water changed over 1–3 days depending on the weather. The pork includes some fat, is wrapped with wood ear and onion, and the parcels are steamed or boiled for 25–30 minutes. The same source notes that even local makers do not know the exact period when the dish began, so no origin date is given here.
In Phụng Công, in Hưng Yên province, a feature for the national tourism authority describes bánh tẻ made from non-glutinous rice, pork, wood ear and dried shallots, wrapped in dong leaves. Raw rice is soaked and ground, the dough is stirred over low heat, and the parcels are shaped like harrow teeth and boiled in boiling water for 15–20 minutes. There it belongs to Tết, gift-giving, weddings and gatherings, as well as everyday eating.
These village methods, with freshly ground rice, regional leaves and boiling, differ from the dry-flour, banana-leaf, steamed recipe above. That is why they are kept apart. The AP also reports a Hanoi chef's modern version with pork broth, scallops, pickled radish and herbs; that, too, is a separate interpretation and not part of this recipe.
Bánh tẻ is easy to confuse with other Vietnamese leaf-wrapped or rice dishes. Bánh chưng and bánh tét are built on glutinous rice, while bánh bèo is a steamed rice-flour dish with a very different shape, and bánh cuốn pairs rice flour with a pork filling in another form entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is bánh tẻ different from bánh tét or bánh chưng?
Bánh tẻ is a northern dish made by cooking non-glutinous rice flour into a paste and wrapping it around a pork and mushroom filling. Bánh tét and bánh chưng are leaf-wrapped dishes centered on glutinous rice, so the ingredients, method and shape are all different.
Can I use glutinous rice flour?
No. It does not give the same texture, so it is not treated as a substitute in this recipe. Use plain non-glutinous rice flour.
How long do I steam it?
The source steams the parcels for 15–20 minutes above boiling water. It does not give parcel dimensions, so also make sure the pork filling is thoroughly cooked; a general guideline is a center temperature of 75°C for at least 1 minute.
How many parcels does this make?
The source does not state a yield, and this recipe has not been kitchen-tested, so a number can't be given.
Which leaves should I use?
The source uses banana leaves. Some regional versions use dong leaves, which bring a different aroma and belong to a different method.
Sources
- FPT Shop (Tường Vy), "Cách làm bánh tẻ mềm dẻo, mang hương vị đúng chuẩn Bắc Bộ." The recipe followed in this article: ingredient amounts, the split of oil and seasonings between filling and dough, soaking the mushrooms, resting and cooking the batter, wrapping in banana leaves, steaming for 15–20 minutes, the name bánh răng bừa, and the suggested chili or sweet-and-sour fish sauce dip. It states no yield and is unclear on mushroom form and leaf quantity. https://fptshop.com.vn/tin-tuc/dien-may/banh-te-163560
- Bắc Ninh regional tourism information, "Bánh tẻ làng Chờ - món quà quê đậm đà xứ Kinh Bắc." The name bánh răng bừa and harrow-tooth shape, eating at festivals, Tết, weddings and funerals, the Làng Chờ raw-rice method, and that the exact origin date is unknown. https://dulichbacninh.gov.vn/kham-pha/lang-nghe-va-dac-san/banh-te-lang-cho-mon-qua-que-dam-da-xu-kinh-bac-1202.html
- Vietnam National Authority of Tourism rural tourism feature / Báo Hưng Yên, "Dẻo, thơm bánh tẻ Hưng Yên ngày Tết." The Phụng Công regional version with dong leaves, the raw-rice method, boiling for 15–20 minutes, and its place at Tết, gift-giving and weddings. https://nongthon.vietnamtourism.gov.vn/deo-thom-banh-te-hung-yen-ngay-tet/
- Associated Press, "How one chef in Vietnam uses fish sauce as the foundation for flavor." Bánh tẻ as a northern steamed rice-flour dish with a mushroom and ground pork filling, eaten with fish sauce dip, and a Hanoi chef's modern version. https://apnews.com/article/vietnam-chef-fish-sauce-cooking-recipes-2f451335b4da86c453657911303a93bf
- Việt Nam News / Chef Lê Đức Hải, "Bánh tẻ." A different chef's formula, used only for comparison; its seasoning amounts are internally inconsistent and are not combined with the recipe here. https://vietnamnews.vn/sunday/ong-taos-kitchen/809077/banh-te.html
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), "家庭での食中毒予防" (Preventing food poisoning at home). General home food-safety guidance: avoiding cross-contamination from raw meat, heating to a center temperature of 75°C for at least 1 minute, not leaving cooked food at room temperature for long, cooling leftovers quickly, and reheating thoroughly. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/syokuchu/01_00008.html
