Here , simple dough made of glutinous rice flour, water, and salt is shaped into small, round disks and steamed on banana leaf circles, which impart fragrance and prevent sticking. The result is bánh day, eggshell-white cakes that are eaten in pairs with slices of Viet sausage slipped between them. The cakes are sweet and chewy, while the sausage provides a savory counterpoint. If you don’t have time to make the sausage at home, pick some up at a Viet market or deli.

　　

Ingredients

makes eight 2 1/2-inch cakes, to serve 4 as a light breakfast or snack

　　1 cup Mochiko Blue Star brand glutinous (sweet) rice flour

　　1/2 cup glutinous (sweet) rice flour, any Thai brand

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　3/4 cup water

　　8 circles, each 3 1/2 inches in diameter, cut from fresh or thawed, frozen banana leaf, rinsed and wiped dry

　　Canola or other neutral oil

　　Classic Silky Sausage; Beef, Dill, and Peppercorn Sausage; Roasted Cinnamon Sausage; or Rich and Crisp Sausage (pages 160 to 165), sliced

　　

Step 1

In a bowl, stir together the 2 rice flours and the salt. Make a well in the center, pour in the water, and stir with a spatula until a clumpy dough forms. Then, use your hand to knead the dough into a rough mass. Turn out the dough and all the unincorporated bits onto a work surface and knead with both hands into a soft , smooth ball that feels like modeling clay. If necessary, add water by the teaspoon or a bit of rice flour (either kind is fine) to achieve the correct consistency. To test if the dough is ready, pinch it; it should barely stick to your fingers. Shape the dough into a log and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Set aside for a moment.

　　

Step 2

Fill the steamer pan halfway with water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Lower the heat until you are ready to steam.

　　

Step 3

Have ready a shallow bowl of water for moistening your hands. Spread out the banana leaf circles on the work surface, and very lightly brush the top of each circle with oil (this prevents the cakes from sticking to the leaf). To form each cake, lightly moisten your hands and roll a piece of dough between your palms into a smooth ball. Center the ball atop a banana leaf circle. Repeat with the remaining dough, remoistening your hands as needed. Finish by moistening the heel of your hand and gently flattening each ball of dough into a 1/2-inch-thick disk. Place the cakes in steamer trays, spacing them 1 inch apart and keeping them 1 inch away from the edge where condensation will collect.

　　

Step 4

Return the water in the steamer pan to a rolling boil. Loosely cover 1 tray with parchment or waxed paper to prevent drying. Place the other tray in the steamer, cover, and steam the cakes for 6 minutes, or until they have expanded and no longer look chalky. Turn off the heat and wait for the steam to subside before lifting the lid, and then lift it away from you carefully to avoid condensation dripping onto the cakes. Remove the tray and use a metal spatula to transfer the cakes, still on the banana leaf, to a wire rack. Steam the second tray the same way. Let the cakes cool for about 1 hour, or until they are at room temperature. A shiny skin forms on top to make them easier to handle.

　　

Step 5

Arrange the cakes, still on the banana leaf, on 1 or more platters and place on the table with the sausages. To eat, peel off the banana leaf from the bottom of a cake. Lay 1 or 2 sausage slices on the bottom, or stickier side, of the cake. Remove the banana leaf from another cake and place it, shiny side up, on top to create a sandwich.

　　

Notes

Step 6

These cakes taste best the day you prepare them. If you have to store them, keep the cakes in pairs. Invert one on top of another, with a piece of banana leaf between the top sides to prevent them from sticking. Put the cakes in an airtight container and refrigerate. Refresh the cakes in the steamer or microwave oven until hot, letting them cool before eating.

　　

Step 7

This sticky rice dough can be used to encase a savory filling of shrimp, pork, and mushroom for steamed dumplings called bánh ít tôm thit, a traditional breakfast treat that is also great for brunch, lunch, or a snack. Make a batch of the filling used for steamed rice crepe rolls (page 270). Then prepare 1 1/2 recipes of the sticky rice dough, shaping the finished dough into a log and cutting it into 12 equal pieces.

　　

Step 8

To form the dumplings, have ready a shallow bowl of water for moistening your hands. Spread out 12 banana leaf circles (each 3 1/2 inches in diameter) on your work surface, and very lightly brush the top of each circle with oil (this prevents the dumplings from sticking to the leaf). Lightly moisten your hands, pick up a piece of dough, and roll it into a ball. Holding it with one hand, use the fingers of your other hand to press the dough gently from the center toward the rim to create a 3-inch circle slightly thinner at the center than at the rim. As you press, rotate the dough to make an even circle. (It is like shaping a tiny pizza.)

　　

Step 9

Gently cup one hand and put the dough circle in that hand, placing it toward the fingertips, which will cradle the dumpling as you shape it. Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling in the center of the circle. Lightly press on the filling with the back of the spoon to create a shallow well; your hand will naturally cup a little tighter as you do this. Now, use your free hand to push and pinch the dough together to enclose the filling completely. You will end up with a ball about 2 inches in diameter. Pass the ball between your hands a few times to smooth the surface, and then center it on a banana leaf circle. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Place the dumplings in steamer trays, spacing them 1 inch apart and 1 inch away from the edge where condensation will collect.

　　

Step 10

Steam the dumplings, one tray at a time, for 15 minutes, or until they have expanded and no longer look chalky. Turn off the heat and wait for the steam to subside before lifting the lid, and then lift it away from you carefully to avoid condensation dripping onto the dumplings. Remove the tray and use a metal spatula to transfer the dumplings, still on the banana leaf, to a wire rack or serving plate. Let them firm and cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Diners can use chopsticks or forks to lift them from the banana leaf (they come off easily). They are good as they are, but they are even better dipped into a mixture of soy sauce and black pepper.

　　Reprinted with permission from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors by Andrea Nguyen. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2006.  Photographs by Leigh Beisch. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.