Banh Bot Khoai Mon Chien Xao Cai Xoan (Vietnamese Fried Taro Rice Cake Stir-Fried with Kale)

Since I clocked out of my brother's New Year's Eve party before midnight, I was up bright and early on New Year's Day. What can I say? I'm an old fogey. I was in a mood to do some cooking, and since lil' sis spent the night at my brother's, she was there to let me in before the rest of the house woke up.



Lil' sis likes pretty much any noodle stir-fry that I cook up. And while, banh bot khoai mon (Vietnamese fried taro cakes) aren't quite noodles, they're sort of a pasta. Fried up and then stir-fried, they have the crispy/chewy texture that she loves. This is pretty much a riff off of my recipe for Banh Bot Chien (Vietnamese Fried Rice Flour Cake), but because everyone resolves to eat healthier for the new year, I added in some kale. Ha!



Banh Bot Khoai Mon Chien Xao Cai Xoan (Vietnamese Fried Taro Cake Stir-Fried with Kale)

For 4 to 6 servings, you'll need:
1 32-oz package banh bot khoai mon (Vietnamese taro rice cake)
2 eggs
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 lb ground pork or turkey
1 bunch kale, thinly sliced
1 tblsp oyster sauce

The morning after. That ginger beer on the bottom left was my doing. I know! I'm so wild and crazy. :P



Pretty tidy morning after, actually.



A little hint for #2.



Anyway, you'll need one package of taro rice cake. You'll find this nestled amongst the fresh noodle aisle at the Asian grocery store. In case you're curious, I went with Minh Phung, Inc. brand because my dad's cousin recommends its banh hoi (Vietnamese steamed noodle sheets).



Cut the banh khoai mon into 2-inch-by-1-inch-by-1/2-inch cubes.



In a pan on medium-high heat, pan-fry until crispy. Set aside.



Beat 2 eggs and make my Scrambled Egg Omelet. Set aside.



Add the sliced onion.



When the onion starts to soften and get golden at the edges, add 1/4 lb ground pork, or turkey if you want to be healthy.



When the meat is cooked, add the sliced kale and a generous drizzle of oyster sauce. Since I was at my brother's house, I had to bring my own oyster sauce so I kept it simple, but otherwise, feel free to make my Ultimate Stir-Fry Sauce to go with this recipe.



The kale will quickly cook down.



Then add the fried taro cake.



Toss to get the sauce to coat the fried taro cakes.



Yum. Yum. The stir-fry is starting to come together.



When everything is evenly mixed, add in the eggs and break them up into big chunks.



Plate and serve.



But wait, we're not done. Let's add a bit of sriracha for color.



Now, we're done.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

If you're wondering about the placement of the watermarks in the photos, unfortunately, in writing this post, I discovered a Vietnamese website that stole my Banh Bot Chien (Vietnamese Fried Rice Flour Cake) recipe. All the step-by-step photos and everything. They had the gall to crop out my watermark and slap an even bigger one of theirs over MY pictures. You'd figure by now, I'd be used to this. But I'm not. And definitely not from sites that get millions of hits and make hundreds of thousands of dollars off my hard work and that of other people they stole from. It makes me angry. It also makes me have to start placing the watermarks in places where cropping them out will make the photos unusable. I hope you understand.

Similar crispy/chewy Vietnamese recipes:
Banh Bot Chien (Vietnamese Fried Rice Flour Cake)
Hu Tieu/Banh Pho Don Xao Bo (Vietnamese Crispy Rice Noodle Beef Stir-Fry)
Pho Ap Chao Bo (Vietnamese Pan-Fried Rice Noodles Sauteed with Beef)

*****
1 year ago today, Capital Seafood Chinese Restaurant (Dim Sum) - Monterey Park.
2 years ago today, Canh O/Kho Qua Nhoi Thit (Vietnamese Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup).
4 years ago today, Pearl Chinese Cuisine (Wedding Banquet) - San Diego.
5 years ago today, Tasty - San Gabriel.
6 years ago today, people exercising around Ho Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword Lake) in Hanoi, Vietnam.