B: Hello you guys, hello A. Well, A. I know you’ve been at the station since early morning, so, before we start the show, I have something for you. Ta da, smell good?

A: Oh, dear, what are you doing?  We’re on the air. But, I must confess that they do smell good. Let’s see what you have. Are they fried cakes? Oh come on, don’t tell me you cooked me those cakes. It just simply melts my heart, sweetie.

B: That’s right, honey. They’re fried corn, sweet potato, and banana cakes. They’re 3 of the most popular Vietnamese desserts; made from sweet corn, sweet potatoes, ripe bananas and wheat flour.

These cakes could be an unforgettable memory for somebody discovering Vietnamese street food (Source: mecon.vn)

A: That trio of cakes seem made for the slightly cold weather of Hanoi these days. They’re easy to make at home but are often sold at street stalls. And B, it’s so kind of you to make those cakes for me. They’re so crispy, absolutely delicious. Why did you do that?  

B: I learned the recipe from a great street food chef- Mrs Vu Thuy Dung, who sells fried cakes in Ly Thuong Kiet street. She was nice enough to give me some tips for making the cakes. Let me show you. “The bananas for this cake should be well ripened ones. They give the cakes a subtler, smoother flavor than fresh bananas. You should choose sweet potatoes which have an orange or dark yellow skin, as white sweet potatoes are less sweet than orange ones. Yellow corn is preferable for this dessert. Removing the kernels of corn by hand is the best way to keep their juicy and flavorful when you bite into the corn cakes. We need 1 kilogram of corn kernels to make 20 fried corn cakes, 1 sweet potato to make two fried potato cakes and one ripe banana for a fried banana cake.”

A tip for perfecting the dish is adding a little lemon juice to the frying pan to get a crisper in the shell, and give the cakes a deeper brown color (Source: vteen.com)

A: That’s not so hard, is it? You can easily get those ingredients at a market or at many shops.

B: Some people don’t like the brown color of the ripe bananas. But these bananas are some of the sweetest, most fragrant bananas you’ve ever tasted.  After preparing all the ingredients, you just need to slice the sweet potatoes and bananas before mixing them with dissolved flour. Let’s hear Dung describe on how to prepare the dough.“I only use wheat flour to make this trio of fried cakes. Some people add eggs to the flour to create a bright yellow color, but it gives the cakes a fishy smell. Artificial color is not recommended for this dessert as it may harm people’s health. We should dissolve the flour in water 30 minutes before frying.”

The cakes are so crispy and absolutely delicious (Source: vietbao.vn)

A: That’s it. Now I know why I fail from time to time making those cakes. I always add some egg yolks to the dough and thought that would improve the flavor. Well. Everything’s ready. How about the frying step? How much cooking oil do we need to fry these cakes?

B: The cooking oil should be filled to the brim, for the best cake quality. Dung has some tips for improving the cakes.“The temperature for frying the cakes should not be too high or too low. If it’s too high, it may burn the cakes. Too low, the cakes won’t be crispy enough. After about 2 to 3 minutes of frying, the cakes are served hot to maximize their crispy. They are best eaten with chili sauce. A tip for perfecting the dish is adding a little lemon juice to the frying pan to get a crisper in the shell, and give the cakes a deeper brown color.”

A: These cakes have many other versions. There’s a sweet one with filling made from green beans, coconut, and sugar. There’s a savory one with filling made from minced meat, mushrooms, and onions. Those cakes are absolutely stunning, beautiful with golden brown shells.

B: I must say they’re freaking awesome. These cakes could be an unforgettable memory for somebody discovering Vietnamese street food. Well. You can find them at many food stalls in Vietnam, or you can make them at home, following our tips. For now, goodbye, everybody. Join us next time on VOV24/7’s Food Delight.