About
This recipe is a Vietnamese classic which is meant to be shared with a large group. They are a crispy savoury pancake made with rice flour. There is no egg, rather the yellow comes from turmeric that you add to the mix. There are many options that you can use for the filling such as tofu, mushrooms or chicken. However, my favourite and the classic way to do it, is to use both prawn and pork. Serve the pancakes with some rice, herbs, pickled vegetables and lots of nuoc cham dipping sauce. In Vietnam they usually wrap a lettuce leaf around it for a bit of extra crunch. This recipe uses a pre-made pack for the pancake mix however if you want you can use your own rice flour and turmeric. Make sure you eat them as soon as they come out of the hot pan.
(If you feel like making your own batter try this recipe from bon appetit)
Ingredients
Pork (500g, cooked and sliced thinly)
Prawn (300g, raw or cooked and detailed)
Banh Xeo mix (1 Packet which has rice flour and turmeric in it)
Bean sprouts (200g-300g)
Herbs (Optional - Coriander, Mint, Vietnamese mint and Thai basil. 1 handful of each to garnish).
Coconut milk or water (700ml)
Spring onions (3, thinly sliced)
Oil (1Tbsp)
Nuoc Chum sauce
Pickled Carrot
Pickled Carrot
Carrots (2, Peeled and juliened or very sliny sliced on a mandolin)
Boiling water (1 cup)
White Vinegar (1/2 cup)
Sugar (1/2 cup)
Preparation
It is important that you prepare all the ingredients before starting to make the pancakes.
Firstly empty Banh Xeo mix of rice flour and turmeric into a large bowl. Pour in the coconut milk and stir in with a whisk.
Thinly slice all the spring onions and stir in with the pancake mix, set aside.
Cook and thinly slice the pork.
Prepare the prawns. If raw they are able to be cooked in the pancake.
Finely chop any herbs that you will be using and set aside.
Put the pan on to a high heat and put in a Tablespoon of oil. Let the oil heat up and use a large spoon to ladle the mixture into the fry pan. Put enough mixture in to cover the base of the pan.
As the pancake begins to cook put in a handful of bean sprouts, 3 or 4 prawns and a couple of pieces of pork. Place a lid over the pan while cooking for 3-4 minutes.
Take the lid off and cook for a further minute. Make sure that the prawns have cooked. The underside of the pancake should be brown and crispy. Fold the pancake over and take out of the pan.
Serve immediately with herbs, rice, 3-4 Tablespoons of nuoc chum sauce and pickled vegetables.
Pickled Carrot
Peel and thinly slice carrots into matchsticks.
Mix the boiled water and sugar together until dissolved.
Pour in vinegar and mix in carrots so that they are covered by the mixture.
Set aside to cool for at least 20 minutes and for the carrots to pickle.
Store in the fridge (Lasts a couple of weeks).
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