Steamed Rice Rolls-Savory and Delicious

I’m so excited to share our very first recipe! These steamed rice rolls, aka fawm kauv in Hmong, are one of my favorite things to eat. The ingredients are simple, but when they all come together it’s so good.

I remember when I was a child I would get super excited when I saw a box of cake flour on the counter. It wasn’t because my mom was baking a cake but because she was making fawv kauv ( steamed rice rolls) for dinner. Now, normal people would eat this as a side dish, but my family would make 2-3 plates of these and have it as the main dish.

As mentioned above, this recipe uses cake flour. YES! Cake flour. I guess we can call these steamed cake rolls instead. Anyhow, I know it sounds a little strange but trust me it works. What’s great about this recipe is that all the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store: ground turkey ( ground pork will also work), carrots, green onion, oyster sauce, salt, and black pepper.

Disclaimer: These are not traditional steamed rice rolls known as Banh Cuon in Vietnamese, which is usually filled with ear wood mushrooms and pork. Traditional steamed rice rolls are made with rice flour and cooked by spreading a thin layer of the batter on top of a cloth that is stretched over a water bath.

Traditional steamed rice rolls also have a chewier texture, but these rice rolls are more delicate and soft because of the cake flour.

I really hope you give this recipe a try and maybe it can become a family favorite too.

Enjoy!- Kalu

Notes, photos, and a video to help get you started.

• Cake flour- Cake flour can be found in most grocery stores. The brand I have been using forever is Softasilk. I have also used Swans Down, and it works too.

• Frying pan– I recommend using non-stick frying that is at least 10-12 inches. The frying pan also has to be shallow and not too heavy. If you’re planning on using an old frying pan, it might not work. I would even suggest you buy a brand new frying pan to get the best results. TRUST ME! I’ve had times when I just gave up making these because my pan was not cooperating. When you have a bad pan, the batter will stick to it and your crepes won’t cook properly. You just end up with crappy crepes that end up in the garbage. So I’m giving you a fair warning. Use your old frying pan at your own risk.

• Oil Stick– Another important tool is my mom’s famous oil stick, made with a chopstick, two sheets of paper towel, and a rubber band. A heat resistance silicone pastry brush will also work. I also have on hand a squeeze bottle with oil. If you don’t have one that’s fine use a small bowl to put the oil in. You will be using the oil stick/ brush to oil your pan and plate.

• Workspace– Station #1- Have our cake batter mix next to the frying pan. Station #2 – You will need two plates, the meat mixture, oil, and oil stick. It’s important to be organized when making these. It will make the whole cooking process a lot more enjoyable and faster.

Here is a quick video on how to make a steamed rice roll.

• Make sure the pan is the right temperature. The pan is too hot if you pour your batter in the pan and it starts to sizzle really loud. Turn down the heat. However, if your pan is not hot enough the batter won’t cling on to the pan and you won’t have a nice whole crepe. Turn the heat 1-2 notches up. Usually, the first couple of rice rolls won’t come out right until you find the perfect temperature.

STEP BY STEP on how to roll steam rice rolls.

Print Recipe

Steamed Rice Rolls

(7 votes, average: 4.43 out of 5)

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Dinner – Asian

By Kalu Lor – Serves: 8-10 people

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 1 hour – Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

These delicious and silky steamed rice rolls are filled with ground turkey, carrots, and green onions. Make a platter and share it with family and friends at your next gathering.

Ingredients

• Batter
• 6 cups of cake flour ( Softasilk is the brand that I usually buy)
• 7 ½ cups of warm water
• 4 Tbsp of vegetable oil
• Filling
• 1lb of ground turkey (ground pork will also work)
• 2 cups carrots, shredded
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 2 ½ TBS oyster sauce
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp Black pepper
• Dipping Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Thai Chili Flakes (powder)- Add less if you don’t want it too spicy
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tsp of fresh lime juice
• A splash of white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp water
• Add all the ingredients together in a small bowl and mix until combined. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Instructions

1

Make the dipping sauce and set aside until ready to serve.

2

Prepare the batter by combining the cake flour, water, and oil in a large bowl. Whisk the ingredients until they are well combined and all the lumps have disappeared. Set aside.

3

Turn on the stovetop to medium-high. Add 3-4 TBSPs of oil to a medium pot and cook the meat until no longer pink. Add salt, black pepper, and oyster sauce to the meat and mix until well combined. Add carrots to the ground meat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add green onions and cook for another minute. Turn off heat and set aside.

4

Set up the cooking station. Look above for example.

5

Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan on the stove over medium-low for about 1 minute. Once the frying pan is heated, add ½ tsp of oil to the pan and brush the oil around the pan. Pour 1 cup of the batter onto the non-stick pan. Swirl the batter around the pan 2-3 times, making sure the pan is covered by the batter, but also that it's not too thick. Pour the leftover batter back into the batter bowl.

6

Let the crepe cook for 45-60 seconds. You will notice that the side of the crepe starts to peel away from the pan. That is when you know it is ready. Flip the crepe onto an oiled plate. Add a thin layer (about ½ Tbsp.) of meat filling to the crepe and roll it up.

7

Repeat steps 3-5 until the meat mixture is used up.

8

Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy.