Servings: 2 people
Ingredients
Banh Xeo batter:
- 200g cup rice flour (⅛ cup / 7oz)
- 40g cup potato starch / corn starch (⅓ cup / 1.4oz)
- ⅓ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp chicken powder
- 5.5 oz coconut cream (165ml or one small can)
- 1⅞ cup water / soda / beer (450ml)
Banh Xeo fillings
- 0.5 lb pork belly (or pork shoulder) (230g)
- 0.5 lb shrimps (230g)
- 1.1 lb mung bean sprouts (500g)
- 1 shallot (sliced)
- Cooking oil
- Chicken powder (to your taste)
- Salt (to your taste)
Dipping fish sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp water
- 1 tsp lime juice or 5% vinegar (to your taste)
- Minced garlic (to your taste)
- Minced chili (to your taste)
- Đồ Chua (Pickled carrots & daikon) (optional)
Veggies & herbs
- Lettuce or Mustard greens
- Mint, perilla leaves, Thai basil
Instructions
Prepare the batter
- Mix rice flour, potato starch, turmeric powder, and chicken powder with water. Ensure it's well combined, and then let it rest for an hour.
- After the hour, incorporate the coconut cream, baking powder and mix thoroughly. Finally, strain the batter to remove any clumps.
Prepare the dipping fish sauce
- Whisk together fish sauce, sugar, water, vinegar (or lime juice), and then add minced garlic and minced chili.
Prepare the fillings and vegetables
- Rinse and drain the mung bean sprouts, lettuce, and herbs.
- Slice the pork. Peel and devein the shrimps. If using large-sized shrimps, you can cut them into smaller pieces.
- In a pan, heat cooking oil and sauté the shallots until they become fragrant. Stir-fry the pork until it's partially cooked. Season with a bit of salt and chicken powder. Then, add the shrimp and continue to stir-fry until the fillings are thoroughly cooked.
Cook Banh Xeo Crepes
- In a nonstick or cast-iron pan, pour 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil.
- Pour in a portion of the batter and quickly tilt and rotate the pan to ensure an even spread. Add more batter if needed to cover the pan, resulting in a thin, crepe-like layer. If the batter is too thick, you can thin it by mixing in a few tablespoons of water.
- Place the shrimp, pork, and a handful of bean sprouts on one half of the crepe. Cover with a glass lid and lower the heat to medium-high.
- When you see condensation forming (after about 30 seconds), lift the lid right away — avoid letting the water drip in, or your crepe will lose its crunch! Wipe the lid dry and repeat this step 2–3 times until the edges turn golden and crispy.
- For extra crunch, drizzle a little oil around the edges. If you like it on the lighter side, skip the oil and let it crisp slowly on medium-low heat.
- Once done, gently fold the crepe in half and slide it onto a plate. Wipe the pan clean and continue with the rest of the batter and filling.
Enjoy Banh Xeo
- The Central style: Break the crepe into smaller pieces and place Bánh Xèo along with herbs and lettuce into your bowl of Nước Chấm. Use chopsticks to enjoy the dish.
- The Southern style: Wrap Bánh Xèo and herbs in a generously sized mustard greens or lettuce leaf. Or you can use a sheet of rice paper to wrap the ingredients. Dip this roll in a bowl of Nước Chấm (dipping fish sauce) and Đồ Chua (pickled carrots and daikon).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!