These fried rice cakes are very common among the Chinese–Vietnamese community in Ho Chi Minh City. They can be found on the streets of Chinatown in District 5, Cholon, in the mornings. In Chinese restaurants, lap cheong sausage and daikon radish are added to the rice cake batter.
Rice cakes
½ cup rice flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
6 eggs
teaspoon salt
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
oil, for frying
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
To make the rice cakes, combine the rice flour, tapioca flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add 300 ml of water and mix to form a batter. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Lightly oil a tray or cake tin that will fit in the top half of a steamer. Pour the batter into the tray. Place the tray in the top half of the steamer and steam over boiling water for 20–25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the rice cake comes out clean. Remove the tray from the steamer and set aside to cool slightly.
Remove the rice cake from the tray and set aside until it is completely cold. (The rice cake can be refrigerated overnight.) Cut the rice cake into 5 cm x 2 cm pieces.
Break the eggs into a bowl, add the salt and pepper and lightly whisk to combine.
Heat some oil in a large frying pan. Fry the rice cakes for 2 minutes each side, or until golden brown. Drizzle the rice cakes with ½ teaspoon of the dipping sauce, then pour the egg mixture over the rice cakes. Use a wooden spoon or chopsticks to gently stir the egg so that the raw egg runs underneath the cooked egg. Cook for 1 minute, or until the egg is cooked. Sprinkle the spring onion and chilli over the rice cakes and remove from the pan.
Serve the rice cakes on individual plates or on a large platter, accompanied by the remaining dipping sauce.
