How to Make Vietnamese Thick Noodle (Soi Banh Canh)
I’m not the type of person who does everything from scratch; I usually buy dried vermicelli or pho instead of making it at home. However, when it comes to thick noodles (sợi bánh canh), I prefer to make them myself. Why? Dried thick noodles aren’t as widely available as dried pho and vermicelli. Plus, if I use Japanese udon, which is similar to Vietnamese thick noodle, there’s a tangy taste from the preservatives in packaged noodles. Here’s how to make Vietnamese thick noodle at home.
Table of Contents
Differences Between Thick Noodles and Other Noodles
Less popular than pho, vermicelli, or glass noodles, Vietnamese thick noodles (sợi bánh canh) are known for their thick, round shape and chewy texture. These noodles are typically served in a pork bone broth with a variety of meats, such as crab (bánh canh cua), pork hock (bánh canh giò heo), shrimp and pork (bánh canh tôm thịt), or fish (bánh canh cá).
Thick noodles come in several variations, categorized by their level of chewiness. Rice flour thick noodles (bánh canh bột gạo) are the least chewy, while tapioca flour thick noodles (bánh canh bột lọc) are the chewiest. The chewiness varies depending on the ratio of rice flour to tapioca flour used in the dough.
Ingredients for Vietnamese Thick Noodles
Making thick noodles at home is simple with just four ingredients: tapioca flour, rice flour, cooking oil, and water. I use a 1:1 ratio of tapioca flour to rice flour to achieve a moderately chewy texture, but you can adjust this to your preference—more tapioca flour means a chewier noodle.
Here’s the detailed recipe:
- 150g (1 ¼) cups rice flour
- 150g (1 ¼) cups tapioca flour
- 150g (⅔ cup) boiling water
- 100g (⅓ cup) hot water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Note: You’ll need to prepare two parts of water: one part boiling water and one part cool water. The boiling water partially cooks the tapioca flour in the mixture, making it sticky and acting as a “glue” to bind the dough together. The cooking oil helps to make the dough smoother and easier to work with.
How to Make Vietnamese Thick Noodle
Step 1. Mix the Ingredients
- In a large bowl, combine the tapioca flour, rice flour, salt, and cooking oil. Pour the boiling water into the mixture and stir well to blend the ingredients. Add the remaining cool water and knead the mixture until you achieve a unified, soft dough.
- Let the dough rest for 10-20 minutes before proceeding to the next step.
Step 2. Shaping the Thick Noodle
- Transfer a portion of the dough into a piping bag. Cut the tip of the piping bag to create a noodle diameter of 4-6mm. Tip: Cut the tip gradually, testing as you go, until you reach your desired thickness.
- Boil a pot of water (about 750ml – 1L). Once the water reaches a rolling boil, squeeze the piping bag to release the fresh noodles directly into the pot. Pinch off each noodle when it reaches about 20cm in length. Continue until all the dough is used.
- When the noodles rise to the surface, they are cooked. Remove them and transfer them to cold or ice water to stop the cooking process and prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Congratulations, now you know how to make Vietnamese thick noodle! Use them with crab, fish, pork trotter, or shrimp to make various types of thick noodle right at home!
How to make Vietnamese Thick Noodle (soi banh canh)
Ingredients
- 150 g rice flour (1 ¼ cups)
- 150 g tapioca flour (1 ¼ cups)
- 150 g boiling water (⅔ cup)
- 100 g hot water (⅓ cup)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Instructions
Step 1. Mix the Ingredients
- In a large bowl, combine the tapioca flour, rice flour, salt, and cooking oil. Pour the boiling water into the mixture and stir well to blend the ingredients. Add the remaining cool water and knead the mixture until you achieve a unified, soft dough.
- Let the dough rest for 10-20 minutes before proceeding to the next step.
Step 2. Shaping the Thick Noodle
- Transfer a portion of the dough into a piping bag. Cut the tip of the piping bag to create a noodle diameter of 4-6mm. Tip: Cut the tip gradually, testing as you go, until you reach your desired thickness.
- Boil a pot of water (about 750ml – 1L). Once the water reaches a rolling boil, squeeze the piping bag to release the fresh noodles directly into the pot. Pinch off each noodle when it reaches about 20cm in length. Continue until all the dough is used.
- When the noodles rise to the surface, they are cooked. Remove them and transfer them to cold or ice water to stop the cooking process and prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Nutrition
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