Bánh Bột Lọc Tran Chay – Vegan Vietnamese Clear Dumplings

Bánh Bột Lọc Tran Chay is the veganized version of the traditionally chewy tapioca dumplings that originate from Central Vietnam, where my dad’s side is from.

I remember one of the first times I went to Vietnam, I was hit with a wave of culture shock when I visited my dad’s side of the family in Hue (Central Vietnam). To get to my grandparent’s house and my dad’s old village, we had to travel for what felt like two hours (could have been less time, I actually don’t remember) on a little fishing boat across the river. This was back in 1997 before they built the bridge that allowed for motorbikes and cars to travel over. Being 7 years old, sheltered in Canada and growing up with the luxuries of light switches, running water and flushing toilets, I was humbled by where my dad came from and how different life was.

When I last visited my grandparents back in 2009, so much had changed. Running water, electricity, a TV, and most importantly for me, a toilet that flushed. But some things stayed the same: the bamboo leaf hats that were essential for shade, the honks of motorbikes down the road, the neglected house cats that were only around to keep rodents in check, and of course, the local food vendors with tiny plastic chairs and the most delicious foods from the region.

During my visit in 1997, my aunt took my mom and I to one of the street vendors that made Bánh Bột Lọc Lá, similar to these dumplings in this recipe, but each dumpling was bigger and flatter, and wrapped in banana leaf before boiled. My mom untied the banana leaf wrapper and revealed a clear, oily dumpling, with crumbles of ground pork, tiny dried shrimp, and flecks of onion and wood ear fungus peeking through.

My mom splashed some amber nước chấm sauce over the glistening dumplings, and showed me how to eat by using the spoon to gently cut through the dumpling but leave the banana leaf intact on the plate. I followed my mom’s lead and ate my first bite of this wonderfully chewy, savoury and salty dumpling, brightened with the lime in the sauce and enhanced with the umami of fish sauce.

Vietnamese food is delicious no matter which region it’s from, but the food where my dad is from is just on another level of delicious.

These dumplings are the simpler version of that delicate Bánh Bột Lọc Lá. Bánh Bột Lọc Tran Chay translates to Vegetarian Naked Clear Flour Dumpling. Traditionally, I ate these with ground pork and tiny dried shrimp, but obviously I have swapped vegan substitutes instead. I used Lightlife ground meat here, but you can just as easily use mushrooms, or if you want to keep it protein-y, use cooked and seasoned mung beans (like this banh it tran filling) Yves veggie grounds, Gardein ground, Beyond Beef crumbles, or unseasoned TVP. Heck, you could even use lentils instead.

Personally, I love the nostalgic texture of Lightlife ground in this, I find it to be the closest to pork, and using wood ear mushrooms, you have that familiar squishy crunch that is so nostalgic of so many Vietnamese dishes.

Sorry for the subpar quality photos here, I was kind of rushed because my mom was just snatching these dumplings to cook before I could take a decent photo of them, but this is what the dumplings look like before they get cooked. The dough is purely tapioca starch: when you add boiling water to the starch, it creates this elastic, supple dough that is like an extremely satisfying Play-Doh. Except you can eat this!

Filling the dumplings takes a little practice to understand the balance of rolling out a wrapper that is the right thickness and using the right amount of filling so it doesn’t bust through the wrapper.

It’s tedious work, but with enough helping hands, you can make quick work of this bánh bột lọc Tran chay for such a tasty, savoury snack (or meal!)

Check out my video of my mom showing me how to make bánh bột lọc tran chay, and the wrapping technique up close before you try your hand at it!