Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Sizzling Pancakes / Crêpes)

Method10 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Whisk 255 g rice flour, 85 g all-purpose flour, 2–3 tsp turmeric, 3½ cups filtered water, 1¾ cups coconut cream or milk and 1 tsp salt together. Cover and let the batter rest in the refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight. Stir in the chopped green onion (1 sprig) only just before cooking.

   Rest batter refrigerated · 180 minUses 255 g rice flour · 85 g all-purpose flour · 2–3 tsp turmeric · 3.5 cup filtered water · 1.75 cup coconut cream · 1 tsp salt · 1 sprig green onion

2. 2

   Step 2: Steam the ½ cup dried split, peeled mung beans with water until very soft. Reserve for the crêpe filling.

   Uses 0.5 cup dried mung beans · water for softening or steaming mung beans

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Boil 1.5 lb pork belly until cooked through and soft, then slice thinly.

   Uses 1.5 lb pork belly · enough water to boil pork belly until tender

   
4. 4

   Step 4: If frozen, defrost 1 lb shrimp. Remove heads, devein shrimp and cut shrimp down to bite size if desired.

   Uses 1 lb shrimp (size 45/50 or 60/70)

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Wash and dry bean sprouts (1.5 lb), herbs and veggies.

   Uses 1.5 lb bean sprouts · 1 head mustard greens · 1 bunch mint · 1 bunch cilantro · 1 bunch Vietnamese perilla

   
6. 6

   Step 6: On medium-high heat add 1-2 teaspoons of neutral oil and some onion.

   Uses one to two teaspoons oil per crêpe · some sliced onion per crêpe, from one medium onion

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Immediately add a few pieces of pork and shrimp. Sauté, lightly mixing until very lightly browned and fragrant.

   Uses a few slices per crêpe from the one-and-a-half-pound boiled pork batch · a few cleaned shrimp per crêpe from the one-pound batch · onion beginning to cook in one to two teaspoons oil for this crêpe

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Pour in some batter and quickly tilt & rotate the pan so the batter is evenly spread. Add more batter if it wasn't enough to cover the pan. There should only be a thin layer of batter that almost flakes off at the pan edges where it's thinner. If your batter doesn't do that and is too thick, add a few tbsp water to the batter and mix to thin it out.

   Uses extra water only if needed to thin batter, a tablespoon at a time · a thin layer from the rested batter batch, scallion stirred in just before cooking · cooked pork and cleaned shrimp lightly browned with onion

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Lower the heat to medium. Add some mung beans, bean sprouts, and cover with a lid for about 3 minutes, or until bean sprouts are slightly cooked. The batter should also be slightly cooked and transparent around the edges. This step cooks the top side of the ingredients and batter while it steams since we won't be flipping the crepe.

   Steam Bean Sprouts · 3 minUses some softened mung beans from the half cup dried-bean batch · some washed bean sprouts for each crêpe from the one-and-a-half-pound batch · thin crepe batter spread around the lightly browned filling

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Uncover and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook 5–7 minutes until the crêpe is crisp and the batter, shrimp and filling are fully cooked. Brush a little more oil around the edges only if needed for contact with the pan. Fold in half, transfer to a plate and serve immediately with mustard greens or lettuce, mint, cilantro, optional perilla and prepared Vietnamese dipping sauce. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.

    Crisp Crêpe · 7 minUses a little extra oil around edges only if needed · prepared Vietnamese dipping sauce · crepe and filling steamed about three minutes, sprouts partly cooked · mustard greens, mint, cilantro and optional perilla reserved for wrapping finished crêpes