A delicious recipe for the famous Vietnamese savory crepes called Bánh Xèo
Its golden crust, both crispy and delicate, is irresistible. Inside, the Bánh xèo is bursting with exquisite flavors: pork and/or shrimp, complemented by mung beans, onions, and bean sprouts.
This dish, which is a great success all over the world, is enjoyed fresh out of the pan, garnished with fresh vegetables and dipped in a delicious nuoc cham sauce.
Bánh xèo, often called Vietnamese crepes or pancakes… or sometimes mistakenly Vietnamese omelette, are perfect for convivial family dinners. You can even prepare the batter the day before. So, ready to flip some crepes?
What are Bánh Xèo?
The name “bánh xèo” has always fascinated me, as “xèo” refers to the sizzling sound produced when cooking the batter. This name therefore literally means “sizzling cake”. This sound is particularly noticeable when the batter first meets the heat of the pan.
Many people call bánh xèo “the Vietnamese egg dish”, and it took me a while to understand what it was. These crepes, yellow and somewhat resembling omelets, don’t actually contain eggs! Unlike Japanese omurice.
It’s actually turmeric powder that gives them this color. The filling consists of pork, shrimp, mung beans, bean sprouts, and a bit of green onion. In some variations, you can even find mung bean paste!
Tips for successful Bánh Xèo
Rice flour or wheat flour?
I decided to keep the traditional method for making bánh xèo, using only rice flour. But if you prefer, you can certainly replace this rice flour with ordinary wheat flour.
Why consider wheat flour? Because it makes the crepes crispier and gives them a nice golden color when cooked. And if you make the batter in advance, it will even hold up better with wheat flour when reheated.
The thickness of the batter
Make sure the batter is not too thick. Whether you’ve weighed the flour or not, check its consistency. The batter should be fluid and not have the consistency of a thick fritter batter. If it’s too thick, thin it by adding a tablespoon of water, mix, then test. Repeat if necessary.
The main ingredients of Bánh Xèo
Shaoxing wine: traditional Chinese rice wine, it brings some sweet notes
Beer: Use a light beer, it helps with crispiness and gives a traditional taste. But in the worst case, you can replace everything with coconut milk
Cornstarch: Helps with browning the filling
Fish sauce: brings saltiness and umami to the filling
Bánh Xèo – Vietnamese Crepe
Ingredients
Batter
- 400 g rice flour
- 2 teaspoons of turmeric powdered
- 500 ml water
- 200 ml of beer ideally Vietnamese but a simple light beer will do, you can replace with coconut milk
- 40 ml coconut milk
- 3 stems of green onions chopped (very finely)
Farce
- 300 g ground pork 30% fat content
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch of Pepper
- 1.5 tablespoon of fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
Toppings
- Lettuce/mustard leaves
- Mint
- Cilantro
- Nuoc cham sauce for dipping
Procédé
- In a large bowl, dissolve the rice flour, turmeric powder, and salt in water.
- Add the beer, coconut milk, and green onions. Mix well and let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the filling ingredients, let rest for 10 minutes
- Heat a non-stick pan (20 cm in diameter) over high heat. Add oil. Add the pork. Wait a few minutes until it’s well browned, then mix and break up the ground meat. Wait again, and repeat until you get nice small pieces of well-browned ground meat. Set aside
- Reheat the pan over medium-high heat. Scoop a ladle of batter and tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly. Cover and cook for 1 minute.
- Uncover and add a handful of bean sprouts, then cover again and fry for an additional minute.
- Uncover, add a few spoonfuls of the filling.
- Fold the crepe in half. Fry for another minute and transfer to a plate. Repeat until the batter is used up. If you can use 2-3 pans at the same time, it’s faster.
- To serve, use scissors to cut the crepe in half. Take a large lettuce or mustard leaf (rau cai) or softened rice paper, place some herbs and half a crepe on it. Roll, dip in the fish sauce, and enjoy.
