Vietnamese Pork & Shrimp Tapioca Dumplings (Banh Bot Loc)

These tasty little clear dumplings are one of the most tasty and addictive Vietnamese street foods! You can also find them on the table at almost every Vietnamese party and family gathering. Everyone loves them!! And what's not to love! Caramelized shrimp and pork belly filling wrapped in a delicate layer of clear, slightly chewy tapioca starch, topped with scallion oil, crispy fried shallots, and served with pickled carrot and spicy sweet fish sauce! I can eat them by the dozen!!
For the dough:

3 cups tapioca starch

About 1.5 cups boiling water

With a stand mixer, add starch and 1/4 tsp salt in the mixing bowl. Turn on the lowest speed with flat paddle attached. Slowly pour in water + 1 tsp oil. Mix til everything becomes a smooth paste.

Alternatively, add starch and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the middle and pour in boiling water + oil. Mix well with a spatula.

Dough will be hot and slightly sticky at this point. Spread a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter, scrape dough off the bowl. Wrap it up and put aside.

For the filling:

8oz pork belly

8oz shrimp peeled and deveined

1 tsp oil

2 garlic cloves minced

1 shallot minced

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

3/4 tsp annatto powder (optional, only for color)

Chop pork and shrimp into small bits, put in separate bowls and season each one with 1/4 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp sugar.
Heat pan over med heat, add oil, garlic and shallot, cook for 1 min. Add in pork, season with fish sauce, sugar, pepper and annatto powder. Cook for 3 mins. Add in shrimp and mix well. Cook for another 2 mins. Transfer the filling to a bowl and let cool.

Take out the dough and cut it in halves. Wrap up one half while working on the other. Sprinkle the counter and rolling pin with starch. Roll the dough out to a thin layer. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out the wrappers.

Make dumplings as per video intructions. Remember to wet the edges and seal them up tightly so they don't break while being boiled.

For scallion oil:

8 spring onions, green part only, chopped

1/3 cup oil

Add scallion to a heat proof bowl. Heat the oil til bubbly. Pour oil over scallions.

Bring 5 quart of water to a boil. Add in all the dumplings. Bring back to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 2 mins. Use a slotted spoon to transfer dumplings to a iced water bath. Drain off water, transfer to a bowl and mix well with scallion oil.

For dipping sauce:

1/2 cup fish sauce
10 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup lime juice or vinegar
5 cloves garlic minced
6-7 bird's eye chilies minced


Mix together water, sugar and fish sauce. Stir til sugar is dissolved. Add in minced garlic and chilies.