Vietnamese Snowballs - Banh Bao Chi
These delicious little Vietnamese Snowballs are one of the best Asian treats I have ever had. Each snowball has a soft, sweet centre wrapped in a chewy outer layer that is covered in desiccated coconut. In this post we have included recipes for both mung bean and coconut fillings, which are easily the most popular flavours.
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 22 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 80 gm desiccated coconut
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 70 gm white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tbsp glutinous rice flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, (crushed)
- 100 gm dried peeled split mung bean
- 70 gm caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp canola oil, ((or any neutral oil))
- candied winter melon / mut bi dao, (cut into small cubes (Optional but highly recommended)(available at Asian groceries))
- 250 gm glutinous rice flour
- 100 gm white sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 24 cupcake wrappers
- black sesame seeds ((optional))
Instructions
- 1
In a fry pan on medium heat, add the desiccated coconut, salt, sugar and water. Cook and stir for 7 mins.
- 2
Add 1 tbsp glutinous rice flour and cook for a further 3 mins.
- 3
Turn off heat and add the vanilla extract, sesame seeds and crushed peanuts. With a spoon, combine thoroughly.
- 4
Measure 1 heaped tsp and mold into balls with your hands. (approx 3 cm diameter)
- 5
In a large bowl, soak the mung beans in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- 6
Strain the mung beans and cook in a pot with plenty of boiling water on medium heat. Once the water starts to boil, cook for 10 minutes.
- 7
Strain the mung beans and put back into the pot with 2 tbsp of hot water. Cook on low for another 5 minutes with the lid on. (Note 1)
- 8
Puree the mung bean in food processor or with a rolling pin. To do it with a rolling pin, put the mung bean into a freezer bag and push out all the air. Leave the bag open and roll it with the pin until smooth. (Note 2)
- 9
In a fry pan on medium heat add sugar, vanilla extract and oil. Combine with a spatula and cook for until the mung bean mixture is the texture of soft play-dough. This may take anywhere from 5 - 10 minutes.
- 10
Once the filling is at the right consistency, take off the heat and allow to cool down. Once cooled put 1 heaped tsp of filling into your hands,and wrap it around a cube of candied bitter melon. Roll them into a ball with a diameter of roughly 3 cm.
- 11
In a mixing bowl, combine all the dough ingredients together with a whisk. The water must be warm, not hot or boiling.
- 12
Grease the sides of the plastic microwave-safe bowl with a neutral oil and pour in the dough mixture. Cook on high for 7 minutes. (Note 3)
- 13
With a spoon stir the dough mixture until it is uniform.
- 14
Prepare a small bowl of cold water and a flat plate of desiccated coconut.
- 15
Spoon a heaped tbsp of dough mixture and lay it on the desiccated coconut. To get the dough out, use the tbsp like you would a cookie cutter and cut into the dough with the edges of spoon. Please refer to the progress pictures for help.
- 16
Drop the filling ball on top of the dough and push it into the dough mixture.
- 17
Wet your finger tips in the bowl of water and slowly pull the dough mixture up over the sides of the filling ball. (Note 4)
- 18
Roll the ball in the desiccated coconut and smooth it into a sphere. Don't worry if it is not perfect since you can hide a lot in the cupcake wrappers. (Note 5)
- 19
Repeat until done.