Banh Tam Khoai Mi (Vietnamese Silkworm Cassava Cake)
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Prep Time: 25 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 10 minutesminutes
Total Time: 35 minutesminutes
Servings: 6servings as a snack
Calories: 368kcal
Author: Marvellina
Banh Tam Khoai Mi is a unique, colorful and delicious Vietnamese dessert made from cassava. Its soft and chewy texture, delicate sweetness, and cultural significance make it a beloved treat enjoyed from kids to adults.
Combine grated coconut and salt. Steam on medium heat for 10 minutes. Let it cool down
If using frozen grated cassava:
Thaw the frozen grated cassava and squeeze out all the liquid as much as you can after that. Don't throw away the liquid. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes. The drained weight of the grated cassava can be between 380-390 grams
After the liquid has been sitting for a while, the starch collects at the bottom. Discard the liquid and add the starch back to the cassava. This gives about 410-420 grams of total weight (roughly!)
If using fresh cassava:
Wear gloves as cassava can be irritating to your skin. After peeling the tough skin of cassava and remove the tough core, get about 600 grams of cassava. You may have some extra left
Roughly cut into large chunks. Put them in a blender with 500 ml of water and blend them. Pour the mixture over a sieve. You can also transfer it to a cheese cloth. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. The weight of the cassava after squeezing out the liquid would be roughly about 400 grams (don't have to be exact). Let the liquid sit for 10-15 minutes. The starch will sink to the bottom. Carefully discard the liquid. Add the starch back to the cassava mixture. The total weight is about 420-450 grams (roughly!)
Combine the cassava with sugar, salt, and coconut milk
Prepare the batter:
Give the canned coconut milk a shake to mix the cream and the liquid as they usually separate. You can also open up the can and give it a good stir to combine them
Portion out the cassava into four equal portions, about 150-160 grams each portion. Combine each cassava portion with coconut milk, and color of your choice
Steam the batter:
Oil the steaming dish to prevent sticking or line it with parchment paper. Spread the batter to about 1/2 inch in thickness
If you have 3-tier steamer, you can steam them all at the same time. Otherwise, you can also do it like how I did it. I put a few bamboo skewers on top of the plate and then put the second steaming dish on top and then put a few more bamboo skewers on top and stack the last plate on top. This way I can steam all three at the same time
Wrap the lid of the steamer with a cloth to prevent condensation drops on the surface of the cake. Steam over medium heat for 10-15 minutes. The cake turns slightly translucent and the surface shouldn't be wet
Shaping:
Let the cake cool down for at least 15 minutes. Use a plastic knife or a plastic bench scraper to cut the cake into strips, about 1 cm thick and roll them in grated coconut to coat evenly
Combine sesame seeds and sugar in a serving bowl. When ready to serve, portion out some of the cake and sprinkle with the sesame seed and sugar mixture
Storing:
I recommend storing the cake and the sesame seeds topping separately. Only sprinkle the sesame seeds topping when ready to serve because the sugar in the sesame seed mixture makes the cake wet