Folded shrimp and pork dumplings (banh xep)

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Rinse 150 g split peeled mung beans and soak them in warm water for about two hours, then drain. Soaking first helps the beans cook quickly and turn soft and crumbly. The beans are ready when they are plump and break apart with a light squeeze.

   Suggested time: about 120 minutes.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Steam the beans for about 20 minutes until soft, then mash them with a spoon while still hot. Beans mashed hot turn smoother and mix more easily with the pork. They are ready when no whole beans remain and the mash holds together when squeezed.

   Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Fry 20 g minced shallots in 10 g vegetable oil until fragrant, add 150 g ground pork and 100 g chopped fresh shrimp and stir-fry until firm, season with 10 g fish sauce, 5 g granulated sugar and a pinch ground black pepper, then stir in the mung beans. Cooking the filling until quite dry keeps the wrappers from getting wet and tearing as you fold them. The filling is ready when the meat is cooked and firm, the mixture is dry and crumbly and smells of fried shallots.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Mix 250 g tapioca starch, 50 g rice flour and a pinch salt, bring 240 g water and 10 g vegetable oil to a boil and pour it slowly into the flour, stirring with chopsticks until it cools a little, then knead by hand. The boiling water partly cooks the starch, which makes the tapioca bind and turn pliable. The dough is ready when it is smooth and pliable, does not stick to your hands and springs back when pressed.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Dust the counter with tapioca starch (to taste), divide the dough into balls about the size of a small plum and roll each into a thin round about ten centimeters across. Evenly thin wrappers cook quickly and turn beautifully clear. The wrappers are ready when they are about two millimeters thick and do not tear when lifted.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Place a spoonful of filling in the center of a wrapper, fold it in half into a half-moon, press the edges firmly and pleat them or crimp them with a fork. Well-sealed edges keep water out and stop the filling from bursting out while boiling. The dumplings are ready when the edges are flat and sealed with no large air pockets inside.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the dumplings in batches and boil for about five minutes, and once they float, lift them into a bowl of cool water. A dip in cool water firms the wrappers, makes them chewy and keeps them from sticking together. They are done when the wrappers turn from opaque white to clear and you can faintly see the filling inside.

   Suggested time: about 5 minutes. High heat.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Heat 30 g vegetable oil over low heat, add 30 g finely sliced scallions, turn off the heat right away and stir well. Scallions cooked only by the heat of the oil keep their green color and aroma. The scallion oil is ready when the scallions are soft and bright green and the oil smells gently fragrant.

   Low heat.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Lift the dumplings onto a plate, drizzle with scallion oil and toss gently so they are evenly glossy, then serve with sweet and sour fish sauce and fresh greens. The scallion oil keeps the dumplings from sticking together and adds a rich aroma. The plate is ready when every dumpling is glossy, clear and separate.

   Mark step 9 as done