Bánh Xèo (crispy Vietnamese pancake)
- TM31
- TM5
- TM6
- Difficulty Moderate
- Active time 30 minutes
- Total time 24 hours 55 minutes
- Servings 6 people
- 100 g white rice
- water, for soaking
- 100 g dried mung beans (see Tips)
- Nuoc cham dressing
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 fresh bird's eye chilli, trimmed and deseeded if preferred
- 60 g fish sauce
- 60 g white vinegar
- 125 g unsweetened coconut water
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Pork and prawn filling
- 500 g water
- 200-250 g boneless skinless pork belly
- 150 g peeled raw prawns
- 1 pinch salt
- Crêpes
- 300 g water
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 50 g coconut cream
- oil, for frying
- ½ brown onion, cut into slices
- 4 spring onions/shallots, trimmed and cut into thin slices
- 200 g fresh bean sprouts
- 6-8 lettuce leaves
- fresh coriander leaves, to serve
- fresh mint leaves, to serve
Preparation
- Place a bowl onto mixing bowl lid and weigh rice into it. Cover with water. Place a separate bowl onto mixing bowl lid and weigh mung beans into it. Cover with water and set both bowls aside to soak overnight.
- Place garlic and chilli into mixing bowl and chop 5 sec/speed 7. Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
- Place fish sauce, vinegar, coconut water and sugar into mixing bowl and heat 3 min/Varoma/speed 1. Set aside to cool in mixing bowl. Transfer into bowl with the reserved garlic and chilli. Add lime juice, stir to combine and set aside until ready to serve.
- Place water into mixing bowl. Insert simmering basket and weigh pork and prawns into it. Season with salt, then cook 15 min/100°C/speed 1.
- Using tongs, remove prawns and transfer into a bowl to cool. Continue to cook pork 15 min/100°C/speed 1, until cooked through. Remove simmering basket with aid of spatula and transfer pork into bowl and allow to cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut prawns in half lengthways and thinly slice pork. Return to bowl and set aside until ready to use. Empty mixing bowl.
- Using simmering basket, drain and rinse reserved rice and mung beans well, then place into mixing bowl. Add water and blend 1 min/speed 10.
- Add turmeric and coconut cream and mix 10 sec/speed 4.
- Place a large non-stick frying pan, crêpe pan or shallow wok over high heat (ensure you have a lid large enough to cover pan). Brush with a little oil, then add a small amount of onion to the pan. Cover base of pan with 1 ladle of batter, swirling pan to form a thin crêpe. Top with 2-3 pieces of the cooked pork, some of the bean sprouts, some of the spring onions/shallots and 3-4 of the cooked prawns over half of the crêpe and cover with lid, allowing crêpe and filling to cook (approx. 2½ minutes) or until crêpe is crispy on the bottom and starting to brown around the edges. Flip half of crêpe over the filling, then transfer to a serving plate. Repeat with remaining batter and filling ingredients (makes 6 pancakes in total).
- Serve with lettuce, fresh coriander and mint leaves and Nuoc cham dressing (see Tips).
Tips & Tricks
- You can find dried mung beans at most Asian food stores.
- Leftover Nuoc cham dressing can be stored in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Use it to drizzle over salads or serve with spring rolls or fresh rice paper rolls.
- To eat banh xeo, cut off a piece and wrap in a lettuce leaf with mint and coriander leaves, then dip in Nuoc cham dressing.
USEFUL ITEMS 2 bowls, tongs, large non-stick frying pan, serving plate
