Banh Bot Loc

Ingredients

• 300 g tapioca starch
• 280 ml boiling water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 300 g small raw shrimp, shells on, heads removed
• 200 g pork belly, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp neutral oil for the filling
• 1 tsp caramel sauce (nuoc mau) or dark soy sauce
• 60 ml fish sauce for the dipping sauce
• 50 g sugar for the dipping sauce
• 150 ml warm water
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 red chillies, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp fried shallots
• 2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Before you cook

• Remove the heads from the shrimp but leave the shells on, then devein them from the back.
• Cut the pork belly into 1 cm pieces.
• Chop the shallots, garlic, chilli and spring onion.
• Weigh the tapioca starch into a large heatproof bowl and stir in the 1/2 tsp of salt.

Steps

1. Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the chopped shallots for 2 minutes.
2. Add the pork belly and cook for 6 minutes until the fat renders and the edges brown.
3. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 2 minutes until they turn pink.
4. Season the pan with the 2 tbsp of fish sauce, the 1 tbsp of sugar, the caramel sauce and the black pepper.
5. Cook for 3 more minutes until the liquid reduces to a sticky glaze, then tip the filling onto a plate to cool.
6. Bring the 280 ml of water to a full rolling boil.
7. Pour the boiling water into the tapioca starch all at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon.
8. Keep stirring for 1 minute until a lumpy sticky mass forms.
9. Add the 1 tbsp of oil and knead the dough in the bowl once it is cool enough to touch, about 4 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
10. Cover the dough with a damp cloth so it does not dry out.
11. Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough and flatten it into a 7 cm disc between two sheets of oiled plastic.
12. Place one shrimp and one piece of pork belly in the centre of the disc.
13. Fold the dough over into a half moon and press the edges firmly to seal.
14. Repeat until all the dough and filling are used, keeping the finished dumplings covered.
15. Bring a wide pot of water to a gentle boil.
16. Slide the dumplings in a batch at a time and cook for 4 minutes, until every dumpling floats and turns clear.
17. Lift the dumplings out and drop them straight into a bowl of cold water for 30 seconds so they stay separate.
18. Drain the dumplings and toss them with a little oil to stop them sticking.
19. Stir the 50 g of sugar into the 150 ml of warm water, then add the 60 ml of fish sauce, the lime juice, the garlic and the chilli.
20. Pile the dumplings on a plate and scatter over the fried shallots and spring onion.
21. Serve warm with the dipping sauce spooned generously over the top.