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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Chicken Rice Noodle Porridge

This Chicken Rice Noodle Porridge is the gourmet version of the Jasmine Rice Porridge and both dishes are called 'khao biek'. Other Asians would call this dish "congee soup".

Soup Recipe: Chicken Rice Noodle Porridge1 cup chopped chicken pieces
Chicken bone (optional)
3 to 4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 cup rice flour
1 cup glutinous rice flour
1 cup boiling hot water
Tapioca starch

Sides:
Soy sauce
Fried garlic
Dry chili flakes
Oil & garlic chili sauce
Chopped green onions and cilantro

For Chicken broth: In a pot over high heat, crisp garlic and oil. Add chopped chicken are stir fry until cooked. Add water, salt and chicken bone. Bring broth to boil. Scoop out any foam residue from broth. Reduce heat to medium and cover.

For Noodle: Mix rice flour, glutinous rice flour and boiling hot water. Knead rice dough for 3 minutes. On a flat surface, sprinkle tapioca starch. Roll out rice dough until it is 15 centimeters long, 3 millimeters thick and cut noodles about 5 millimeters apart. Use tapioca starch to sprinkle where dough is sticky.

Chicken Rice Noodle Porridge Individual bowls:
Add noodles to broth and cook noodle for 3 to 5 minutes. Laddle on to individual serving bowls. Add ½ teaspoon fried garlic, ½ teaspoon chili flakes, ½ oil & garlic chili sauce, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, chopped green onions and cilantro. Mix and enjoy.