Bánh Xèo

• active time: 40 minutes
• total time: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 255 g rice flour

• 85 g all-purpose flour

• 2-3 tsp turmeric

• 16 fl oz filtered cold water

• 14 fl oz neutral cold beer

• 14 fl oz coconut cream (if unavailable, coconut milk)

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 spring green onions (chopped about 1/2" long)

• 1/2 c dry mung beans

• 1 ½ lb pork belly

• 1 lb shrimp (size 45/50 or 60/70)

• 1 medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)

• 1 ½ lb bean sprouts

To eat:

• 1 bunch mint

• 1 bunch cilantro

• Nuoc cham

• neutral oil (for frying)

Directions

1. Prepare Batter

2. Combine all batter ingredients except the scallions in a large bowl for at least 3 hours, or overnight: 255 g rice flour, 85 g all-purpose flour, 2-3 tsp turmeric, 28 fl oz filtered water, 14 fl oz coconut cream, 1 tsp salt. Add 1 sprig green onions to the batter only just before cooking the crêpes.

3. Prepare Fillings

4. Steam or soak 1/2 c dry mung beans in warm water until very soft.

5. Boil 1.5 lb pork belly until cooked through and soft, then slice thinly.

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

7. Wash and dry bean sprouts, herbs and veggies.

8. Making Bánh Xèo - Each crêpe takes about 8-10 minutes

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

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

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. Remove the lid, lower heat to medium-low and wait for the crêpe to become crisp. This takes about 5-7 minutes. This step lets the ingredients fully cook through, including the batter. It also lets steam escape so the batter can crisp up. Brush on a little oil around the edges if you're not seeing or hearing enough batter to pan contact. Fold in half, transfer to a plate and serve immediately. For batter troubleshooting please see the troubleshooting section in the post above.

Nutrition

• Calories: 588 kcal
• Total Fat: 42 g
• Saturated Fat: 21 g
• Cholesterol: 136 mg
• Sodium: 580 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 34 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 20 g