Vietnamese Pyramid Dumplings (Bánh Giò)
Vietnamese pyramid dumplings (Banh Gio) are a staple breakfast item in Northern Vietnam and one of the most comforting street foods you can enjoy.
- 1 bag/400g Banh Gio flour mix (See notes for homemade flour mix)
- 6 cups homemade pork stock
- 2 tablespoons shallot oil or neutral oil (and more for greasing spoon)
- 8 oz ground pork
- 1/2 cup finely minced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup minced woodear mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 10 hard-boiled quail eggs
- 20 square or circle banana leaves (about 10 inches wide)
- Light soy sauce or Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Mam Cham)
- In a medium pot, combine the Banh Gio flour and pork stock over medium-high heat. As it cooks, the mixture will start to thicken. Stir frequently until you reach the consistency of creamy mashed potatoes (about 15 minutes from start of heating). Turn off heat and set aside. If you see clumps, stir vigorously to smooth them out. You can also use an electric hand whisk to make stirring easier.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork, onions, garlic, wood ear mushrooms, oyster sauce, and ground black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, then set aside.
- Blanch the leaves in boiling for about 2 minutes. This not only cleans the leaves but it also make it pliable for easy wrapping. Wipe dry with paper towels.
- Use two banana leaves for each dumpling. Overlap them partially, if needed, to create more surface area. Fold the leaves into a cone, pressing down where you want the tip, then bring the sides together. Using a spoon greased with oil, add about 1/3 cup batter to the bottom of the cone. Spread the batter up the sides to form a well. Add 2 tablespoons pork filling and a quail egg, then top with a more batter. Smooth the surface. Fold the banana leaves over to form a four-sided base. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and repeat.
- Place the wrapped dumplings in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes.
- Enjoy the dumplings plain, with light soy sauce, or with a Vietnamese fish-sauce dipping sauce (Nuoc Cham).
Banh Gio translates to “pork cake,”which doesn’t sound too appetizing, but don’t let the name fool you.
What is Banh Gio?
Bánh giò is a pyramid-shaped Vietnamese savory rice dumpling wrapped in banana leaves. It’s filled with a mix of ground pork, onions, minced wood ear mushrooms, and quail eggs. The filling is very similar to Banh Bao.
The rice flour mixture for banh gio is par-cooked on the stove until it thickens into a spreadable paste. The dumplings are then assembled by spreading the batter onto banana leaves, adding the filling, and folding them into their signature pyramid shape.
They are steamed and traditionally served with Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc cham) for the perfect pairing.
It’s All About the Broth
The quality of your Banh Gio comes down to the broth. A mediocre broth means a mediocre dumpling.
Because there is very little filling and a lot of rice batter, the broth you mix into the batter is what truly makes the dish.
To get it just right, try my homemade pork stock. I’ve included instructions to season the stock for a rich, flavorful broth. It’s the perfect complement to this recipe.
Fair warning: Get your arms ready. Par-cooking the batter requires a lot of stirring, and if you don’t stir enough, it will clump.
What You Will Need
To make these Vietnamese pyramid dumplings, gather the following ingredients and equipment:
- Batter: You’ll need one bag of Banh Gio flour premix (a mixture of rice flour and tapioca starch) and pork broth. You can find the flour premix in the flour aisle of many Asian supermarkets; look for them in small white bags. For the broth, you can also substitute well-seasoned chicken stock or bone broth.
- Savory Pork Filling: A mix of ground pork, lots of diced onions, minced garlic, and wood ear mushrooms (also known as black fungus), seasoned with oyster sauce and ground black pepper. No added sugar is needed since the onions cook down and add a subtle sweetness.
- Hard-Boiled Quail Eggs: The traditional treasure hidden in the center of every dumpling. I love using fresh quail eggs, but canned ones work too if fresh aren’t available or if you’re feeling lazy.
- The Wrapper: We are using banana leaves and plastic wrap. The banana leaf gives the dough a special tea-like aroma and that signature, subtle green tint after steaming, while the plastic wrap secures the banana leaves in place. Banana leaves are common in Asian grocery stores in the freezer section. They might be precut into small squares or circles like in my pictures, or they may come full-size but folded into a large packet.
How to Make Banh Gio
Making these dumplings is a labor of love, but the process is straightforward once you get into a rhythm.
