Bánh Xèo (Crispy Vietnamese Sizzling Crêpes)

Ingredients

• 255 g rice flour
• 85 g all-purpose flour
• 2.5 tsp turmeric (Source gives a range of 2–3 teaspoons.)
• 28 fl oz filtered water
• 14 fl oz coconut cream (Use coconut milk if coconut cream is unavailable.)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 sprig green onions (Chopped into pieces about 1/2 inch long; add just before cooking the crêpes.)
• 0.5 cup dry mung beans (Steam or soak in warm water until very soft.)
• 1.5 lb pork belly (Boil until cooked through and soft, then slice thinly.)
• 1 lb shrimp (Use size 45/50 or 60/70; if frozen, defrost, remove heads, devein, and cut into bite-size pieces if desired.)
• 1 medium yellow onion (Thinly sliced.)
• 1.5 lb bean sprouts (Washed and dried.)
• 1 head mustard greens (Vietnamese mustard greens (cải xanh); wash and dry.)
• 1 bunch mint (Wash and dry.)
• 1 bunch cilantro (Wash and dry.)
• 1 bunch Vietnamese perilla (Tía tô; optional. Wash and dry.)
• Vietnamese prepared dipping sauce (Serve with the crêpes; amount not specified.)
• neutral oil (For frying; use 1–2 teaspoons per crêpe and brush around the edges as needed.)

Steps

1. 1

   Combine the rice flour, all-purpose flour, turmeric, filtered water, coconut cream, and salt in a large bowl. Rest the batter for at least 3 hours or overnight.

2. 2

   Just before cooking the crêpes, chop the green onions into pieces about 1/2 inch long and stir them into the rested batter.

3. 3

   Steam or soak the dry mung beans in warm water until very soft.

4. 4

   Boil the pork belly until cooked through and soft, then slice it thinly.

5. 5

   If using frozen shrimp, defrost it. Remove the heads, devein the shrimp, and cut it into bite-size pieces if desired.

6. 6

   Wash and dry the bean sprouts, mustard greens, mint, cilantro, and optional Vietnamese perilla.

7. 7

   For each crêpe, heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add 1–2 teaspoons of neutral oil and some sliced onion.

8. 8

   Immediately add a few pieces of pork and shrimp. Sauté, lightly mixing, until very lightly browned and fragrant.

9. 9

   Pour in some batter and quickly tilt and rotate the pan so the batter spreads evenly. Add more batter only if needed to cover the pan; the batter should form a thin layer that nearly flakes off at the thinner edges.

10. 10

    If the batter is too thick to spread thinly and crisp, add a few tablespoons of water to the batter and mix to thin it.

11. 11

    Lower the heat to medium. Add some mung beans and bean sprouts, then cover the pan with a lid for about 3 minutes, or until the bean sprouts are slightly cooked and the batter is slightly cooked and transparent around the edges.

12. 12

    Remove the lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for another 5–7 minutes, allowing the ingredients and batter to cook through while steam escapes and the crêpe becomes crisp.

13. 13

    If there is not enough sizzling contact between the batter and pan, brush a little oil around the crêpe edges.

14. 14

    Fold the crêpe in half, transfer it to a plate, and serve immediately with the mustard greens, herbs, and Vietnamese prepared dipping sauce.

Notes

Each crêpe takes about 8–10 minutes to cook. The structured recipe lists 40 minutes of cooking time and 230 minutes total time, including the batter-resting period. Serve the crêpes immediately for maximum crispness.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Vietnamese
• Southeast Asian
• savory
• crispy
• pork
• seafood
• dairy-free