With the aim of creating a new taste for the traditional dish “banh cuon Thanh Tri” (Thanh Tri steamed roll rice pancakes) as well as to help farmers consume dragon fruits, the owner of a famous “banh cuon” restaurant at 26B Tho Xuong Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, made special steamed roll rice pancakes from red dragon fruit.
The steamed roll rice pancakes made from red dragon fruit at a famous restaurant in Hanoi have attracted numerous diners.
Duong Thi Hanh (71) from Dinh Village, Thanh Tri District, who created this unique dish, said that she began making steamed roll rice pancakes when she was 14 years old.
“I saw many people rescuing agricultural products to help farmers, so I bought red dragon fruits. Many people encouraged me to try making dragon fruit steamed roll rice pancakes, and I began to experiment”, said Hanh.
After being washed and chopped, red dragon fruit is pureed with a blender and then mixed with clean water to make a red mixture.
Hanh said: “After that, the flour and water is mixed with dragon fruit juice in a ratio that creates a beautiful pink”.
She shared that following several unsuccessful attempts at making the red dragon fruit pancakes, she drew an appropriate formula. The most important stage is the selection of sweet dragon fruits with beautiful colour”.
Although the stages are not too complicated, it is essential to have a special secret to make beautiful and delicious steamed roll rice pancakes.
The thin and soft rice paper, fragrant meat fillings and delicious dipping sauces are important factors in making steamed roll rice pancakes.
Hanh’s steamed roll rice pancakes are only small enough.
In addition to steamed meat roll rice pancakes, Hanh makes steamed egg roll rice pancakes with dragon fruit.
The steamed roll rice pancakes with red dragon fruit has a slightly sweet taste and should be eaten while hot.The steamed roll rice pancakes with red dragon fruit has a slightly sweet taste and should be eaten while hot.
“I still sell steamed roll rice pancakes at the usual prices, with about VND40,000 – VND50,000 for serving. The special serving of pancakes, with a bit of everything, is priced at VND105,000”, said Hanh.
The restaurant is very small so it can only serve 15-20 guests. However, it has attracted many diners.
Huy, a diner from Hoan Kiem District, enjoying the steamed roll rice pancakes made from red dragon fruits.
Hanh’s first daughter, Nguyen Thi Nguyen, talking about different kinds of clean spices, including pepper from Binh Phuoc Province, chilli from the central ancient city of Hue, banana from Thung Nai (Hoa Binh Province), wood ear and fish sauce from Phu Quoc Island.
Fried onion is an indispensable spice for the dish. Onions must be chopped by hands and fried with lard.
David, an American visitor, enjoyed both dragon fruit and normal steamed roll rice pancakes and was satisfied with the dishes. He shared that: “Your cuisine is really the number one among the countries I have ever visited”.
Ngoc Ha