Puffed sticky rice crackers (banh phong)

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Rinse 500 g glutinous rice well and soak it in cold water for about six hours or overnight, then rinse again and drain thoroughly. Rice soaked long enough steams evenly tender and sticky and pounds smooth easily. The rice is ready when a grain crumbles easily when pressed between two fingers.

   Suggested time: about 360 minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Spread the rice evenly in a cloth-lined steamer and steam over high heat for about 30 minutes, fluffing it once halfway through. Fluffing helps the rice on the bottom and on top cook at the same rate. The sticky rice is done when the grains are translucent, soft and chewy with no white core.

   Suggested time: about 30 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Put the hot sticky rice in a food processor or mortar, add 120 g granulated sugar, 120 g coconut milk, 4 g salt and 20 g black sesame seeds, then process or pound until all the grains have broken down. Work while the rice is still hot, because cooled sticky rice hardens and will not blend with the sugar. The dough is ready when it is smooth, sticky and stretchy, with no visible grains of rice.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Rub a little vegetable oil (to taste) on your hands and on two sheets of plastic wrap. Divide the dough into balls the size of a small lime, place one between the sheets and roll it into a thin round about two to three millimeters thick and about fifteen centimeters across. Evenly thin rounds dry quickly and puff evenly when grilled. You have rolled them right when light shows faintly through the round and the edges are not torn.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Arrange the rounds on bamboo racks or mesh trays and dry them in strong sun for about one to two days, turning them once each session. They must be completely dry inside so that the little moisture left turns to steam and puffs them during grilling instead of making them tough. They are dry when they are hard and brittle, snap cleanly when broken and look opaque white.

   Suggested time: about 1,440 minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Grill each cracker over glowing coals or a medium flame, holding it with two chopsticks, turning it constantly and pressing lightly so it puffs evenly; if you have no coals, you can microwave it on high for about one minute. Constant turning lets the cracker puff evenly without burning in one spot. It is ready when it has puffed to two to three times its size, light and ivory white with a few golden spots.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Let the puffed crackers cool for about a minute so they crisp up fully, then set them on a platter, break off pieces and eat right away. Freshly grilled crackers have the best crunch and the most intense aroma. You will hear a crisp crackle as you break them and see a crumb as airy as a honeycomb.

   Mark step 7 as done