How to make Nab Vam tapioca strings

Submitted by Annie on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 23:11

This is a super easy recipe to make Hmong Nab Vam strings (pronounced as na va), also known as tapioca worms.  My fellow sister in Christ, Nam Phoumee, taught me how to make this recipe! Thank you Nam Phoumee!!!!!

Ingredients:

  • 1 - 16oz bag of Bot Banh Gio flour (see picture below)
  • 9 cups of cold water
  • food coloring of your choice

Other stuff to get ready

  • a really big pot to cook the mixture
  • a steamer pot with a top pot that has holes and a bottom pot for water (I got mine from a korean store)
  • a big strong spoon (flat or round, preferably a wide spoon)

Let's start!

  1. Mix the flour and the 9 cups of cold water in a pot.  Stir until disolved.  It will resemble white milk.
     
  2. Add the food coloring of your choice.  I prefer to use the powder food color cos it makes the color brighter.
     
  3. Place the pot on the stove and cook on high heat and stir.
     
  4. Watch the pot closely and stir continously.  Within 3-5 minutes the mixture will start to thicken.  Then in the last few stages it will get really thick within a few seconds!!!! This is why it is important to use a big strong spoon. Keep stirring!
     
  5. When the mixture starts to develop big bubbles and get shiny, turn off the stove.
     
  6. Stack the steamer pot in the sink.
     
  7. Pour the hot mixture into the steamer.  Using the big spoon with a downward pressing stroking motion, press the mixture down through the holes.  The tiny strings will fall into the bottom steamer. The technique to this is to press downward and stroke it to the side.
     
  8. Scoop out the strings and put them in the container of your choice. (see picture above)

 

If you have any questions, please leave me a comment! The key to this is continuous stirring!

Tags: 
hmong food
food
how to
tutorial

22 comments

by kaying on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 07:57

Wow Annie, that was fast, wish I have that energy and time on a pc. Thanks for posting this up, from now on I will do it your, 'cause I hate standing in front of the stove squeezing those worm into a hot boiling pot and than take it out to cool it down in cold water.One question, when you sqeeze it through the steamer, do you pour everything in the steamer or do you do a little at a time?Thanks again!

by Annie on Wed, 10/05/2011 - 21:11

I pour out everything into the steamer and then press down.  It goes by pretty fast.  The mixture is pretty hot so try not to burn yourself!

by rasany on Sat, 10/22/2011 - 22:30

Thank you.  Trying to find an easy recipe for this.  Never done this myself, but it turned out great.  Thanks so much for your blog :)

by Mary on Thu, 11/10/2011 - 21:13

thanks again...can u make a video how to make this...thanks...

by Annie on Fri, 11/11/2011 - 08:03

Hi Mary, I'll do a nab vam tutorial soon! :-)

by Mary on Sun, 11/27/2011 - 19:00

thanks 

by Mai on Wed, 11/23/2011 - 14:54

I use this recipe too. It always turn out great as always.

by Annie on Sun, 11/27/2011 - 13:10

:-)  Thanks for your comment. 

by ong on Wed, 11/30/2011 - 23:25

I make these today and it turn out great but why does it taste salty? 

by Annie on Thu, 12/01/2011 - 17:35

I guess that could depend on your food coloring.  Have you tried it plain without any food coloring?  Also, make sure your pot is clean so that it doesn't pick up on any other flavors.

by Yangsha on Sat, 12/31/2011 - 15:44

The brand is on the salty side.  It was pre-packaged like that.

by Wendy on Mon, 12/12/2011 - 08:04

Where do you get the powdered food coloring? Can liquid food coloring be used instead? Did you just stir together the tapioca pearls and worms, plus the dessert coconut milk and ice to make the liquid drink? Is there any place in Madison to buy Nab Vam ready made? Thank you. 

by Annie on Mon, 12/12/2011 - 17:52

I bought my powder food coloring from Yue Wah market on S. Park Street in madison. 

Yup, you can use the liquid food coloring too.  It is not as colorful or bright as powder, but will do.

Yup, everything I made in this video I just stirred it all together with ice. I also added some coconut shreds and beans that I bought in a jar, but I didn't put that on the video.

You can buy Nab Vam from the Asian Market on Park Street in Madison.  I think they sell that and some hmong food in the deli area.  But I think it tastes better when you make it yourself. Nothing beats home made food.

by Maia Xiong on Sat, 01/14/2012 - 17:18

Hi Annie. i really wanted to try this recipe. I could not find that exact flour. Can I use flour that's used to make dumplings?

by Annie on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 10:52

You can use any brand of Bot Banh Gio flour.  I know that there are other recipes that uses different flour, but the water measurements are not the same as in this recipe.  

by Saleyna on Sun, 01/15/2012 - 13:20

Hi Annie, I live in Hawaii & selections are few here. There might be a store that carries this product but I've yet to find one yet.  Is there another substitute I can use for the flour mix to make the nab vam strings?  Or maybe you might know of the mixture content that I can use to make my own?

by Annie on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 10:54

My cousin uses all purpose flour.  My sister in law uses self rising flour.  Sorry, but I don't know the measurements and water mixture measurements.  I haven't experimented with that yet but if I do get their recipe, I'll post it here.

by Kj on Fri, 02/03/2012 - 14:04

Hi. Love the video:) but I have a question....when do u add in the food coloring to the pearls? after or during the soaking in cold water!

by Annie on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 07:26

You can add it at any time. I like to add mine at the end after I drain all the water.

by Mk on Sun, 02/05/2012 - 17:01

Would you be able to do a quick demonstration on making water chestnut for nab vam? I've searched it online and the receipe that does include water chestnut do not have enough detail for me to understand how to make them. Or at the very least a detailed 'how to'?

by Annie on Thu, 02/09/2012 - 07:27

Chop the chesnuts into small pieces. Then in a zip lock bag, add some tapioca flour and chestnuts. Shake them up really good. Using a sieve, remove the excess flour. Then boil the chestnuts. When the outer edges are clear, you are done.

by Yee on Sat, 02/18/2012 - 17:34

Wow...u are amazing for having so much time to put this on here...this recipe is so easy to make...I just made some yesterday for my sons b-day party and it turn out great...Keep up the good work and plz do add some more new cookings of yours...yee

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