Crispy Vietnamese Crepe (Banh xeo)

Banh Xeo is a perfectly crisp, protein-veg filled “crepe” that I first encountered at my favorite local Pho spot. The first time we ordered it, my friends and I fell in love. It’s perfectly crisp, filled with a killer combination of pork and shrimp, and the perfect crunchy textural contrast to pair with a piping hot bowl of pho. Over time I learned that Banh Xeo (literally translating to sizzle) is meant to be eaten by hand with greens and/or Vietnamese perilla and dipping in a spicy/sweet Nuoc Cham sauce - much like Korean Ssam is at BBQ. This thing is one of my favorites and you can totally make it at home. Lmk if you have any questions, you got this. 🤘🏼Adam

Yield: 10-12 crepes

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Vietnamese Banh Xeo

Ingredients

Batter

• 1 cup Coconut Cream, unsweetened (200g)
• 2 cups Rice Flour (240g)
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (120g)
• 2 tsp Turmeric Powder (8g)
• 1 Tbsp Sugar (12g)
• 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt, 2g)
• 4 cups Water (800g)

Filling

• 1 pound Pork Belly, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 Yellow Onion, sliced thin
• 3 cups Bean Sprouts
• 1 bunch Scallions

Nuoc Cham (Dipping Sauce)

• 6 Tbsp Water
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Lime Juice
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• 1 Bird’s Eye Chili, sliced thin
• 2 Tbsp Fish Sauce, more to taste

Garnish

• Mint
• Cilantro
• Mustard Greens (optional)
• Vietnamese Perilla (optional)
• Lettuce
• 1 bunch Vietnamese Perilla (optional)

Instructions

Batter & Filling

1. In a blender, add the rice flour, all purpose flour, turmeric, water, coconut cream and salt then puree until smooth. It should be thin - the consistency of heavy cream. Chill the batter for at least 2 hours, or keep covered in the fridge overnight. The batter will keep for 5 days.
2. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, add a dash of oil, a few sliced onions, pieces of pork and 5-6 shrimp. Cook until the protein is cooked then pour in some batter tilting and rotating the pan to ensure it’s spread evenly and thinly. Add in a tablespoon of the sliced scallions, a small handful of bean sprouts then cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes. Remove the lid, drizzle in a teaspoon or two of neutral oil around the edges of the crepe then reduce the heat to medium-low then continue cooking for 5-6 minutes, until the crepe becomes crispy.
3. Fold the crepe over itself to form an “omelette” shape and transfer to a plate. Serve with fresh greens and Nuoc Cham. Tear off a piece by hand and CRUSH!

Nuoc Cham

1. Warm the water slightly then pour in the sugar and stir to dissolve. The water should be just warm enough to easily dissolve the sugar. Add the lime juice, garlic, chili and fish sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with fish sauce. The sauce should be on the strong side.

Adam's Notes

• The batter should be thin and run in the pan, unlike thicker pancake batters.
• Let the batter sit in the fridge for AT LEAST 2 hours to fully hydrate - the rest will give you the best texture.
• The filling can be anything you want. I’m prone to shoving a buttload of bean sprouts in my Banh Xeo because I love them. Pork, shrimp and onion is classic.