Crispy Vietnamese pancakes (banh xeo)
Banh xeo is named for the cheerful sizzle the batter makes when it hits the hot, oiled pan. The turmeric-yellow shell is thin and crisp at the edges and rich with coconut milk, wrapped around shrimp, pork belly and bean sprouts. In southern Vietnam people wrap pieces in fresh greens and dip them in sweet and sour fish sauce, and eating them with your hands is the best way to enjoy them.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rising or chilling
- 1 hr
- Total time
- 2 hr 30 min
- Method
- Pan-cooked or waffle iron
Ingredients
Pancake batter
Shrimp, pork and bean sprout filling
Fresh greens and dipping sauce
Instructions
Step 1
Put 250 g rice flour, 3 g ground turmeric and a pinch salt in a bowl, pour in 200 g coconut milk and 450 g water and whisk until smooth, then stir in 30 g finely sliced scallions. Coconut milk gives the shell its richness, while turmeric adds an appealing yellow color without any eggs. The batter is ready when it is thin, evenly bright yellow and a drop spreads out immediately.
Step 2
Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for about an hour so the rice flour can absorb the liquid. A well-rested batter gives a shell that stays crisp longer and breaks less when folded. The batter is ready when it stirs up smooth with no sediment on the bottom.
Step 3
Thinly slice 250 g pork belly, peel and devein 250 g fresh shrimp, and pick over and drain 300 g bean sprouts. Thin slices of pork cook through in the time the shell takes to crisp, and well-drained sprouts keep the shell from going soggy. Everything is ready when it is divided into small portions, one for each pancake.
Step 4
Heat a spoonful of oil for frying (to taste) in a pan over high heat, add a few slices of pork and a few shrimp and sear for about a minute. Searing first renders some fat from the pork and cooks the shrimp evenly, with a lovely toasty aroma. The filling is ready when the pork is lightly browned and the shrimp have just turned pink.
Step 5
Stir the batter, pour a ladleful into the pan and quickly swirl it to coat the whole pan thinly, scatter a handful of bean sprouts over one half, cover for about two minutes, then uncover and lower the heat to medium to let the pancake crisp further. Covering steams the sprouts and the center of the batter, and uncovering lets the steam escape so the shell turns dry and crisp. The pancake is ready when the edges are deep golden, crisp, curling up and release easily from the pan.
Step 6
Use a spatula to fold the pancake in half into a half-moon, then slide it gently onto a plate. Folding once the shell is crisp helps it hold its shape without cracking into pieces. It is ready when neatly folded, golden and crisp on the outside, and it sounds crunchy when tapped lightly.
Step 7
Dissolve 40 g granulated sugar in 120 g water, then add 40 g fish sauce, 20 g lime juice and 5 g minced garlic and stir well. The dipping sauce for banh xeo should be a little sweeter to balance the richness of the coconut milk and pork fat. The sauce is ready when the sugar has fully dissolved and the sour, sweet and salty flavors are balanced.
Step 8
Wash 200 g mixed fresh herbs and salad greens and set them out with the hot pancakes and the bowl of dipping sauce. The fresh greens balance the richness and make every bite feel lighter. The meal is ready when the pancakes are still hot and crisp and the greens are drained, fresh and green.
Equipment
- Nonstick skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale
Tips
- A cast-iron pan or a heavy-bottomed nonstick pan holds heat well and helps the shell crisp more evenly.
- For a shell that stays crisp longer, you can replace a small part of the rice flour with tapioca starch or add a splash of beer to the batter.
- Wrapping banh xeo in mustard greens or rice paper is a popular way to eat it in many regions.
Storage
Banh xeo is best eaten right away, because the shell loses its crunch within a few minutes. Leftover batter can be covered and refrigerated for a day; stir it well before making more pancakes.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The shell is soft and soggy instead of crisp.
- The pan was not hot enough or the batter was poured too thick. Wait until the pan is very hot, pour a thin layer and leave the lid off longer so the steam can escape.
- The pancake sticks to the pan and tears when folded.
- There was too little oil or it was folded before it had crisped. Add a little oil around the edge of the pan and wait until the edges lift on their own before folding.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
