Bánh Cam (Vietnamese sesame balls)
Recipes from the Slow Food table
Huge thanks to the slow food team for submitting these recipes!
Sesame Ball recipe by Suchita Hothur.
Bánh Cam (Vietnamese sesame balls)
Sweet Mung Bean Filling:
1-½ cups dried peeled split mung beans
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract
Shell:
1 bag glutinous rice flour (16 oz)
3 tablespoons rice flour
⅓ cup potato starch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1½ cups hot water
1¼ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil and more for deep-frying
1 cup sesame seeds
Procedure:
Filling:
Rinse the mung beans until water runs clear. Soak them overnight with 5x the water by volume.
Transfer beans to a medium-size pot and add water to cover by 3 inches. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer. Partially cover with a lid. Cook for about 1 hour or until you can easily smash a mung bean.
Add beans to a blender and blend with sugar, vanilla, salt, coconut and oil. Blend to make a runny liquid.
Pour the mixture back onto the pan. Stir constantly until it releases from the pan. It should be a dough. Let the mixture cool and form into 1-inch balls.
Dough:
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl until evenly combined - Add water, sugar, and vegetable oil and kneed until you get a smooth, slightly sticky dough ball.
Assembly:
Make discs using 1.5 tbsp of dough. Use extra glutinous rice flour if dough is sticky.
Wrap the mung bean balls tightly with this dough. Seal at edges to prevent bursting in the oil.
Roll each ball in sesame seeds. Bring a pot of oil on the stove to heat up.
Once hot, fry each Bánh Cam until golden brown. This should take about 6 minutes. If it browns quickly, the oil is too hot
This recipe is a part of a series of The Dish x Slow Food collaborations. Visit our Slow Food Hub to find The Dish’s articles and recipes created in collaboration with Slow Food.
