Bánh Xèo - Vietnamese Crispy Pancakes

The name Bánh Xèo translates to something like sizzling cake, referring to the hissing sound the batter makes when it hits the scorching hot pan. It's a pancake completely without eggs – the golden color and slight crunch come from rice flour and turmeric, while coconut milk provides roundness. You fold it around a warm filling of shrimp, pork, and crispy bean sprouts, tear it into pieces, wrap it in lettuce leaves with a handful of fresh herbs, and dip it all into tangy nuoc cham. It's so much more than food - it's a small meal ritual.

• Cuisine: Vietnam
• Time: 45 minutes
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Medium

Instructions

1. First, prepare the nuoc cham: mix 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp sugar, and 4 tbsp water until the sugar is dissolved, then stir in finely chopped garlic and thinly sliced fresh chili. Taste and adjust to achieve a balanced blend of sweet, sour, and salty, then set aside.
2. Whisk together rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and salt with coconut milk and water to a very thin, smooth batter. Stir in the sliced spring onions.
3. Let the batter rest for fifteen minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquid – this creates the crispiest edges.
4. Heat a little oil in a pan over high heat, and fry the shrimp, pork, and red onion for 3-4 minutes until the pork is thoroughly cooked with no pink in the center, and the shrimp are completely pink and opaque throughout.
5. Stir the batter again, and pour a thin layer over the filling, tilting the pan so the batter covers the entire bottom in a thin layer.
6. Sprinkle a handful of bean sprouts over one half, cover briefly with a lid, and let the pancake cook until the edges are deep golden and crispy.
7. Fold the pancake over the filling like an omelet and let it cook for another moment to hold its shape.
8. Serve immediately with lettuce leaves, fresh herbs, and the bowl of nuoc cham.
9. To eat, tear off a piece, wrap it in a lettuce leaf with herbs, and dip it in the sauce.

Tips

• The pan must be very hot, and the batter razor-thin – that's the whole secret to crispy edges.
• Substitute shrimp and pork with mushrooms and firm tofu for a vegetarian Bánh Xèo.
• Eat the pancake immediately; it will become soft and leathery if left too long.
• Stir the batter before each pancake – the turmeric and flour quickly settle at the bottom.