Bánh xèo translates to “sizzling crepe” and is a quintessential Vietnamese street food dish. It’s the perfect bite when wrapped in rice paper, served with herbs and dunked in nuoc cham.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | about 4 crepes |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- About 11 ounces beer
- 8 ounces coconut milk
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 8 ounces medium shrimp (41/45 or 51/60), peeled and deveined
- High-heat cooking oil, such as peanut, canola or grapeseed oil, for frying
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cups bean sprouts
- 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 6 leaves green leaf lettuce
- 3 sprigs mint
- 3 sprigs cilantro
- 13 sprigs Vietnamese basil
- 8 to 10 perilla leaves
- 12 rice paper rounds
- Nuoc Mam Dipping Sauce, recipe follows, for serving
- 1/2 cup julienned carrot
- 1/2 cup julienned daikon
- 1/2 cup fish sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 to 3 Thai chiles, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- For the batter: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the beer and coconut milk. Let rest for 15 to 30 minutes so the flour can absorb all the liquid.
- For the filling: While the batter rests, bring a small saucepan three-quarters full of water to a simmer. Stir in the pork and baking soda. Simmer until the pork is cooked through, opaque and tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Cut the shrimp in half lengthwise if the shrimp are thicker than 1/2 inch.
- To make the crepe: Stir the scallions into the batter.
- Heat a 9-inch nonstick pan on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/4 cup of the sliced onions, 3 to 5 slices of pork and 3 to 5 pieces of shrimp. Sauté until the pork is light brown and the shrimp are half cooked, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Ladle in 6 to 8 ounces batter and rotate the pan so the batter is distributed evenly and covers the bottom. After you see the edges crisp and start to pull away, lower the heat to medium and cook for about 1 minute, allowing the bottom to sear, crisp and brown. Top with about 1 cup of the bean sprouts and cover with a lid to steam the sprouts and cook the top of the crepe, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid and place a few drops of oil around the crepe between the edges of the crepe and the pan to crisp up the crepe for 2 to 3 minutes. Once the bottom is golden brown, slide the crepe onto a plate, then fold in half. Repeat with the remaining filling and batter, adding additional oil.
- For the vegetable plate garnish: Arrange a plate with the cucumbers, lettuce, mint, cilantro, basil, perilla leaves and rice paper. Serve the crepes with the vegetable plate and Nuoc Mam Dipping Sauce.
- Combine the carrot, daikon, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, rice vinegar, chiles, garlic and 1/2 cup water in a bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar completely. This uncooked version is bright and fresh. You can also bring this to a boil for a more syrupy version.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 1537 |
| Total Fat | 104 g |
| Saturated Fat | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 127 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 35 g |
| Protein | 26 g |
| Cholesterol | 91 mg |
| Sodium | 4023 mg |
Reviews
Sounds amazing, can’t wait to make this. The pork belly was left off of the ingredients list. How much should I buy?