Bánh xèo
Local name : Bánh xèo
A turmeric-yellow rice crêpe, crisp at the edges, folded over beansprouts and mushrooms and wrapped in lettuce.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Method
- Whisk the rice flour, cornflour, turmeric and half a teaspoon of salt with the coconut milk and water: the batter should be very thin, like single cream. Rest 30 minutes, then stir in the spring onions.
- Make the dip by dissolving the sugar and salt in the hot water, then adding the lime juice, crushed garlic and sliced chilli.
- Stir-fry the mushrooms with the onion in a tablespoon of oil for 5 minutes over high heat, and season.
- Heat a non-stick pan over high heat with 1 tbsp oil, until it just begins to smoke.
- Pour in a ladle of batter, tilting the pan to coat the base in a very thin layer; it should hiss loudly.
- Scatter a portion of mushrooms and beansprouts over one half, cover for 2 minutes, then uncover and cook 3 minutes more until the edges are brown and brittle.
- Fold into a half-moon, serve immediately, and eat it in pieces wrapped in lettuce with the herbs, dipped in the sauce.
The name bánh xèo comes from the sound the batter makes hitting the hot pan: if it doesn’t hiss loudly, the pan isn’t hot enough. The classic dip uses fish sauce, replaced here with salt and plenty of lime.
