Crispy savory Vietnamese sizzling crepes (Banh Xeo) is filled with shrimp and slices of pork belly and wrapped in fresh veggies is simply irresistible. You will be tempted to make this often. Trust me!
We brought our friend to a Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. They have never really eaten at the Vietnamese restaurant before. We had our minds set on beef pho and our friends ordered the same. Then the waiter passed by us bringing this huge yellow-looking pancake (I thought it was omelet, to be honest!) to the next table. We stopped the waiter and asked her what that was and she said it was banh xeo. That was my first exposure to banh xeo.
So on top of the pho, we ordered banh xeo as well. I am hooked ever since. This banh xeo gets its name because of the sizzling sound it makes when you cook the crepes. I absolutely love the crispy edge and the soft middle filled with shrimp, slices of pork belly and bean sprouts.
The waiter showed us how to eat it by wrapping it up in a fresh lettuce with some mints and dip it into the nuoc mam cham. That first bite was unforgettable to this date. When I made this banh xeo again, we actually ate them two days in the row!
Please weigh ingredients with a digital kitchen scale instead of using measuring cups as they are not very accurate especially when it comes to recipe that requires precision.
INGREDIENTS
Crepes:
- 2 cups of rice flour
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 3 cups of water
- 1 tsp good quality turmeric powder
- Pinch of salt
- 3 stalks of green onions - finely chopped
- 1 small onion - peeled and thinly sliced
- Cooking oil
Filling:
- 1 lb of large shrimps
- 8 0z of pork belly or pork loin if you prefer
- 1 lb Fresh bean sprouts
To serve with:
- Fresh mint
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Lettuce
Nuoc mam cham (Vietnamese fish sauce) :
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2 red chilis - seeded if you like and finely chopped
- 2 Tbp fish sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- Juice of ½ lime
INSTRUCTIONS
- Boil the pork belly or pork loin in a water (enough to cover) add pinch of salt and let it boil until cook. Once it cools enough to handle, thinly sliced the pork
Making nuoc mam cham
- Place the sugar and water in a small pot and cook until the sugar melted and then add all the ingredients for nuoc mam cham
Making the crepes
- Prepare the crepes by adding all the ingredients from rice flour all the way up to salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in the green onion. Let the batter rest for 2 hours in the refrigerator
- Bring the batter out to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. In a non-stick frying pan (I use 9" diameter pan), add in just a little bit of oil Add in the 3-4 slices of onion and let it cook for about 20 seconds. Give the batter a good stir (the rice flour tends to sink to the bottom after a while). Scoop about 1/2 cup of the batter and quickly swirl the pan around and once the batter begin to cook, about 1 minute or so add about 4 shrimps and 4 slices of the pork and some bean sprouts and cover with a lid and let it cook for another 1 minute or so. The crepes should start to get crispy at the edge and the color of the crepes should be golden brown. Use a rubber spatula to fold the crepes in half. Slide it gently to serving platter. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Remember to stir the batter each time before you pour it in
- Serve immediately with the fresh mint, cilantro leaves and some lettuce if you prefer and nuoc mam cham on the side
Are you ready for some sizzling ? These are savory crepes you will want to make over and over!
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