Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese pancakes

Our favorite recipe for Bánh Xèo

Ingredients

pancake batter
200 g rice flour
50 g cornstarch
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp salt
400 ml cold water
200 ml coconut milk
2 spring onions (cut into fine rings)

filling
200g pork belly or pork (alternatively shrimp or tofu)
1 small onion
100g mung bean sprouts
2 tablespoons of oil

To serve
Romaine lettuce or green leaf lettuce
Fresh herbs (mint, coriander)

Dip sauce (Nuoc Cham)
3 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
1–2 tsp sugar
1 small clove of garlic (finely chopped)
1 small red chili (optional, finely chopped)

preparation

Mix rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric and salt in a bowl.
Slowly stir in the water and coconut milk until a thin, smooth batter is formed.
Stir in the spring onions and let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. Cut the pork into thin slices and finely chop the onion.
Heat a little oil in a pan, briefly sear the meat, add the onions and bean sprouts, and cook everything gently. Set aside.

completion

Heat a large frying pan thoroughly and lightly grease it with oil. Pour in a ladleful of batter, swirl the pan so the batter evenly coats the bottom. As soon as the batter begins to set, spread some filling over one half. Cook over medium heat until the pancake is golden brown and crispy. Then carefully fold it in half and serve immediately.

sauce

For the nuoc ham sauce, mix fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in garlic and chili and season to taste; the sauce should have a balanced sweet, sour, and salty flavor.

Peanut sauce:
Squeeze the lime and mix the juice with the peanut butter and soy sauce.

Hoisin Sauce:
Chop the remaining pork into very small pieces, fry in a little oil, and deglaze with the hoisin sauce. If necessary, thin with a little water and sprinkle the sauce with finely chopped peanuts.

Why is that? Bánh Xèo?

It translates to "sizzling cake," named for the sound the liquid rice batter makes when it hits the hot pan. In Vietnam, Bánh Xèo is a social dish: the crispy pancake is broken into pieces, wrapped in lettuce leaves and herbs, and dipped in sauce. The combination of crispy texture, fresh herbs, and aromatic sauce is emblematic of Vietnamese cuisine: full of contrasts, balanced, and vibrant.