Banh Cuon - Wet Rice Paper Spring Rolls

This appetizer dish takes just as much time to make as the spring rolls made with rice paper. For me, banh cuon takes longer because I haven't mastered the process. Plus each wet rice paper must be cooked before rolling. I guess this appetizer is Thai Lao version of the French crepe.

You can purchase the wet rice paper batter and follow the instructions. In my video, I cook the wet rice paper differently from the instructions because that is how my cousin taught me. I fill it with ground pork and dark fungus mushrooms. For best presentation, roll the wet rice paper spring rolls flat. Serve the wet spring rolls with the spring roll dipping sauce.

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Thai Lao Steam Bun

Today marks the one year anniversary of Thai & Lao Food blogging. With full time employment and part-time blogging, I am exhausted!

Here is the traditional Thai Lao Steam bun recipe filled with pork, egg, mushrooms, and sweet sausages. I make steam buns on weekends; then I freeze the buns in containers. I would thaw in the fridge overnight and warm in the microwave for 20 seconds. This makes a quick breakfast on the go and I take them to work as a delicious alternative to sandwiches.

Appetizer Recipe: Thai Lao Steam Bun
1 package of steam bun mix. Look for steam bun picture to make sure you have the right package
½ cup sugar
1 cup fresh soy milk
1 tablespoon oil
12 quail eggs or 3 chicken eggs
2 Asian sweet sausages
1 cup ground pork
2 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
2 shallots minced
1 clove garlic minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons oyster sauce or hoisin sauce
12 wax paper cut into 2 inches square
2 tablespoons white vinegar

There should be directions on the package of the steam bun. However here are the basic steps:

1. For the Dough - mix the package with fresh soy milk, sugar and oil. Knead dough for 5 minutes. Leave dough aside for 20 minutes. Knead again for 2 minutes and divide dough into 12 equal balls.

2. For Pork Filling - boil quail eggs for 15 minutes or chicken eggs for 20 minutes. Cut large eggs in quarters. Cut sweet sausages into 12 pieces or into very small pieces. For pork filling, add chopped garlic, shallots and mushrooms, salt, pepper, and oyster sauce.

3. Putting it together - Sprinkle flour onto hard surface and roll dough out into a large circle slightly larger than palm of hand. Add eggs, sausages and 1 tablespoon of pork filling. Gather opposite edges and meet in the middle. Pinch dough to seal out any small air holes. Place wax paper under base of steam bun. Place six buns in each stainless steel steaming layer.

4. Add water into steaming pot so it levels 2 inches. Add vinegar and bring water to boil. Add steaming layers with bun over the steaming pot. Steam bun 10 minutes. Lift lid of steamer to remove condensation. Steam another 10 minutes.

Dome Kim - Pork & Egg in Soy Sauce

I've seen people evolve this dish by adding potatoes in with the egg. This is one example of generations evolving quickly in North America and the reason why my blog is about authentic Thai and Lao food. If you are serving Dome Kim to Thai and Lao people, do not add potatoes into the pot.

Stir Fry Recipe: Dome Kim1 inch ginger
2 pounds pork that has fat, meat, and skin sections
5 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½ tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 star anis (optional - also used in Lao Pho)

Thinly slice ginger. Chop pork to bite size pieces so that each piece has the fat, meat, and skin. Boil eggs for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and remove shell from egg. In a large pot of high heat add oil and garlic. Stir until garlic is brown. Add pork pieces and stir until brown which is about 10 minutes. Pour water into pot so that it just covers the pork. Add ginger, sugar, soy sauce, salt, and the hard boiled egg. Cook for 40 minutes while stirring occasionally. Turn heat off. Add fish sauce and stir again. Serve immediately with Lao sticky rice or khao chow.

Dome Kim is one of the rare Thai and Lao dishes that does not call for any chilies. So serve with Dome Kim with the Classic Hot Sauce and Roasted Tomato Chili Sauce. The best Dome Kim dish has pork pieces that contain the fat, meat and skin sections.