Tapioca Dumplings (Bánh Bột Lọc)

Put the tapioca starch and salt in a bowl. Pour in the boiling water all at once and stir hard and fast with a wooden spoon — the heat of the water is what cooks the starch and gives the dough its stretchy, see-through texture. As soon as it's cool enough to handle, oil your hands and knead for 3–4 minutes into a smooth, soft dough that doesn't stick to your fingers; if it feels dry, wet your hands with a little more hot water.

• 300 g tapioca starch
• 350 ml boiling water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

✅ Done when: the dough is smooth, pliable and slightly translucent, like soft play-dough

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the shallots until fragrant and golden at the edges. Add the pork belly and cook for 3–4 minutes until the fat turns clear and the meat is lightly browned, then add the shrimp, fish sauce, sugar and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through and the mixture looks glossy and a little sticky, not wet; let it cool before using so it won't melt the dough.

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 3 shallots
• 200 g pork belly
• 250 g shrimp
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

✅ Done when: shrimp is opaque and cooked through and the filling clings together without liquid pooling in the pan