Stuffed Rice Wrapper Rolls

This little rice roll cake is made with the method of steaming. In Vietnam, it is the only way. This is fun to watch but is a little complicated and requires a cook with experience. For home cooking, I prefer using a nonstick pan for this recipe. One can say it tastes a little less authentic than steamed rice rolls. However, because many people have busy lifestyles, making the rice rolls cake in a nonstick pan is much easier. The filling, consisting of ground pork as traditionally used or either ground chicken or turkey for a leaner filling, is the choice of each cook.

Ingredients:
Batter ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
2 cups water
1 cup boiling water
2 tsp salt
2 tbs oil
Filling ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground chicken
A handful of dried wood ear mushrooms
2 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
1 cup jicama, diced
 
Seasoning with fish sauce, black pepper, sugar
Garnish with cilantro, steam bean sprouts, crispy fired shallots
Vietnamese dipping sauce

Directions:
Soak the dried wood ear mushrooms in water for 30 minutes. Drain and finely dice mushrooms (about 1/2 cup).
To make the filling:
In a sauté pan, add about 2 tbs of peanut oil. Stir in shallots, garlic, mushrooms, jicama, and ground chicken.

Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Add white onions and cook for a few more minutes or until onions just soft but still tender. Season with fish sauce, black pepper and sugar.

 Set aside.
To prepare the wrapper:
In a small pot, mix flour, salt, and two cups of water and whisk until flour dissolves. Add hot water and continue to whisk flour. Add oil. Let batter rise for a few hours.
In a nonstick pan, add a little oil. Ladle the batter (about 1/4 cup at a time) in a circular motion.

Lower heat and cover for one minute.

Prepare a clean surface and remove rice cake from the pan by turning the pan upside down onto a clean counter (Initially, do not expect each wrapper to be perfect – only practice makes perfect).

 Repeat until all batter is used.
Place roughly 1 tbs of filling on a wrapper. Roll up gently.

Serve on a plate with steamed bean sprouts, cilantro, crispy shallots, and dipping sauce.