Bánh Canh Nam Phổ

Name: Bánh Canh Nam Phổ
Total time: 7200 s
Yield: Serves 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups rice flour (about 250 grams) + 1 cup water (about 250 ml); 1 cup tapioca starch (about 120 grams) + 2 cups water (about 480 ml); 7 oz shrimp (about 200 grams); 3.5 oz pork paste (about 100 grams); 7 oz ground pork belly (about 200 grams); Shallots, chili peppers, annatto oil,; 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (Huế style); Herbs: scallions, cilantro, Vietnamese coriander (rau răm); Seasonings: bouillon powder, sugar, fish sauce, black pepper, MSG (optional)

Hoàng Thị Tố Hà @toha_2591227

Huế

As someone from Huế who has lived away from home for 40 years and now resides in Saigon, no matter where I go, I always remember the foods of Huế. Besides the famous bánh dishes like bèo, nậm, lọc, and ít-ram, there’s also a noodle soup called Bánh Canh Nam Phổ. This dish has become a daily staple—perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a snack—and is great for both kids and seniors. Originating as a traditional street food from Nam Phổ village in Phú Vang, Huế, this humble dish may take some time to prepare, but Huế women are known for their dedication and passion in cooking. Bánh Canh Nam Phổ is not only delicious but also visually appealing, with its white noodles, shrimp and pork filling, and the vibrant green of scallions, cilantro, and Vietnamese coriander, making it a specialty of the ancient capital. I learned this recipe from my grandmother, aunt, and mother, and today I want to share it with those far from home and friends from other regions—a familiar yet unique dish from my hometown.

Hoàng Thị Tố Hà @toha_2591227

Saved

Ingredients

2 hours

Serves 4 servings

2 cupsrice flour (about 250 grams) + 1 cup water (about 250 ml)
1 cuptapioca starch (about 120 grams) + 2 cups water (about 480 ml)
7 ozshrimp (about 200 grams)
3.5 ozpork paste (about 100 grams)
7 ozground pork belly (about 200 grams)
Shallots, chili peppers, annatto oil,
1 teaspoonfermented shrimp paste (Huế style)
Herbs: scallions, cilantro, Vietnamese coriander (rau răm)
Seasonings: bouillon powder, sugar, fish sauce, black pepper, MSG (optional)

Saved

Steps

2 hours

1

Prepare the shrimp: Rinse the shrimp, boil until cooked, peel, then pound or finely chop. Reserve the shrimp boiling water. Rinse the pork belly, remove the skin, cut into small pieces, and grind.
2

In a bowl, combine the ground pork belly, pork paste, and pounded shrimp. Season with 1 tablespoon minced shallot, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon bouillon powder, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1 teaspoon MSG, and 1 tablespoon annatto oil. Mix thoroughly.
3

Once the shrimp and pork mixture is smooth and sticky, let it marinate for 30 minutes.
4

To make annatto oil: Place annatto seeds in a bowl, heat oil until hot, pour over the seeds, then strain to remove the seeds. For the shrimp paste, dissolve it in 1/2 cup cold water.
5

Rice flour and tapioca starch:
6

Make the dough: Place the rice flour in a large bowl, pour in boiling water, and mix with a wooden spoon until thick. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic (adjust the amount of boiling water as needed for the right consistency).
7

Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them into thin sheets.
8

Cut the dough into thin noodles.
9

Mix the tapioca starch with cold water until fully dissolved.
10

Cook the noodles: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles; when they float and turn translucent, add 1/2 cup of the tapioca starch mixture and stir. Remove from heat and let the noodles soak in the pot for 1 hour to soften.
11

Make the soup: In a pot, combine the reserved shrimp boiling water and the strained shrimp paste water (add the shrimp paste water while the pot is still cold). Add more water as needed. Bring to a boil. When boiling, break the shrimp and pork mixture from step 3 into small pieces and drop them into the pot. Season to taste. Gradually add the remaining tapioca starch mixture, stirring until the soup thickens (like crab soup). Add the herbs and black pepper.
12

Serve the bánh canh with chopped scallions, cilantro, Vietnamese coriander, and a small bowl of spicy fish sauce with chili.
13

Keep the noodles warm over very low heat, and place the soup pot on top of the noodle pot (do not mix the noodles and soup together).
14

To serve, ladle the noodles into a bowl, top with the shrimp and pork soup, sprinkle with black pepper and chili fish sauce, mix well, and enjoy. The noodles should be soft but not too thick—absolutely delicious!