Banh Gio (Vietnamese Pork Dumplings) Recipe

Banh Gio (Vietnamese Pork Dumplings)

Ingredients

Fillings
1 1/2 tsp. Fish Sauce
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1/2 lb. Ground Pork
1/2 tsp. Sugar
1/2 cup Wood Ear Mushroom
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1/4 cup diced Shallots
1 Tbsp. Oil
Pinch of Salt
1 Tbsp. fried Shallots
1/4 tsp. Five Spiced Powder

Dough
Banana Leaves
8oz. Corn Starch
2 Tbsp. Rice Flour
1 1/3 cup Water
2 cups Chicken Broth
2 cups Water
1 Tbsp. Oil
Pinch of Salt

Chop some Onion, you need about 1/2 cup.  Soak some Wood Ear Mushroom, rinse it when it has soften.  Cut and chop, you need about 1/2 cup of this also.
Prepare the Banana Leaves, cut it into sheets about 8 by 10.  Have a pan of boiling water ready.  Dip it in and wipe the banana leaves.
This will soften it and make it easier to wrap the dumplings later.
Repeat until you have your banana leaves ready.  Set it aside.

To make the fillings in a pan add in 1 Tbsp. Oil add in 1/4 cup diced Shallots.  Saute for a few seconds.  Add in a little more oil if needed.
Then add in 1/2 cup chopped Onions.
Continue to saute, add in the 1/2 lb. Ground Pork. Add 1/2 tsp. Sugar. Add a pinch of Salt. Add 1/4 tsp. Five Spiced Powder. Add 1 1/2 tsp. Fish Sauce and 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper.
Cook until it becomes like this then add in 1/2 cup chopped Wood Ear Mushroom. Add 1 Tbsp. fried Shallots. Mix well and remove from heat.  Then set it aside.

In a bowl, add 8oz Corn Starch.  Add 2 Tbsp. Rice Flour and 1 1/3 cup Water.  Mix well.  Let it sits for 15 minutes.
In a pot add in 2 cups Chicken Broth and 2 cups Water. Bring to a high simmer. Add Pinch of Salt. Add in 1 Tbsp. Oil into the flour mixture.
Mix well and once the pot with chicken broth starts to simmer. Pour in the mixture. Quickly mix until it thickens and remove from heat.
This takes about 2-3 minutes.

To fold the Banana Leaves you need a plastic wrap about the size of the banana leaves, place it on the bottom then 2 banana leaves on top.
 Fold one corner up to meet with the opposite corner.
Then fold the other two corners to meet with the middle corner. Open it up and you should have like a cone.

Scoop some Dough and them some fillings then the dough again.  Then fold.
Repeat until you have about 6-8 dumplings.  Steam for about 20 minutes and serve.