Vietnamese Banh Xeo (Crispy Crepes)
Crisp turmeric rice-flour crepes filled with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, and scallions, served with herbs and nuoc cham.
Equipment
- Large nonstick skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Ladle
Ingredients
Crepe Batter
- 2 cups rice flour fine rice flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 cups coconut milk unsweetened
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 4 scallions scallions thinly sliced
Filling
- 8 oz raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 8 oz pork belly thinly sliced
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- 1 tbsp neutral oil for cooking
Nuoc Cham and Serving
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp lime juice fresh
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- 1 piece red chili thinly sliced
- 1 head butter lettuce leaves separated
Instructions
Make the batter:
- Whisk the rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and salt in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the coconut milk and water until smooth, then stir in the scallions. Rest the batter for 20 minutes.
- Stir together the fish sauce, water, lime juice, sugar, garlic, and chili for the nuoc cham.
Cook the filling:
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little oil, then cook the pork until lightly browned. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink.
- Push the filling to one side of the pan. Pour in a thin layer of batter and swirl the pan so it reaches the edges. Scatter bean sprouts over one half.
Crisp and serve:
- Cover for 2 minutes, then uncover and cook until the edges are deeply crisp and the bottom is browned. Fold the crepe over the filling and transfer to a plate.
- Repeat with the remaining batter and filling. Serve immediately with lettuce, herbs, and nuoc cham.
Notes
- A hot pan and a thin batter are the secrets to crisp banh xeo.
- Cook the crepes one at a time so steam does not soften the edges.
- Serve the crepes immediately while the shells are at their crispiest.
Nutrition
Calories: 610kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 29gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 1320mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8g