The crêpes, also called Bánh xèo in Vietnam, can be found in almost every second kitchen at the roadside in the south. A simple dish that tastes good, can be prepared quickly and is not expensive.
Unlike crêpes as we know them, Vietnamese crêpes consist only of coconut milk, rice flour and water.
Bánh xèo
Ingredients
- 4 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups rice flour
- 1 teaspoon curcuma
- 2-3 pinches salt
- 2-3 spring onions
Filling options
- beef or pork meat
- small shrimps
- mung bean sprouts
- cooked mung beans
Instructions
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For the preparation, if you have not prepared the dough yet, you have to take some time. In Vietnam, the dough is prepared once in the morning and can be prepared quickly all day long.
Due to the weather in Vietnam, most Vietnamese kitchens now also precook the meat or the complete filling. Otherwise some ingredients would spoil the day quickly.
Dough
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Mix the turmeric, salt and flour and stir in the coconut milk. The dough is relatively liquid, which is correct. Vietnamese crêpes are very thin, which can only be achieved with a liquid dough. If the dough is well stirred, the spring onions are cut into small rings and stirred into the dough. Now it is important that the dough rests for at least 30 minutes. Then it can be prepared. During this time you can prepare the filling in peace.
Filling
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First the shrimps are cut open at the back and the intestines are removed. In the case of large animals, it is also possible to divide the shrimp again without any problems so that the portions do not become too large. Season with salt and pepper.
Then cut the pork or beef into very thin slices and season them with salt and pepper. In Vietnam I could often observe that a little sugar was also used for seasoning. The sprouts and beans are prepared the way they are bought and are later only added during cooking.
The Crêpes
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Once the dough has rested and the filling has been prepared, you can start baking the crêpes. First put the meat and the shrimps in a pan with very hot oil. Attention! The pan should be covered with a lid.
Now you cook the ingredients in the oil and stir / swivel them more often times. When the meat and shrimps are cooked, add the dough with a ladle. Put the sprouts and the mung beans on one half of the dough, close the pan or the wok with a lid and let everything cook for a few minutes. (The sprouts should then soften).
Once everything is cooked, fold the unoccupied side of the crêpe over the side with the sprouts and remove it from the pan. Now you can serve it.
Arrange
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Bánh xèo is generally served with fresh herbs (coriander, basil, etc.), cucumber strips, spring onion and salad. The crêpes are then torn into smaller strips, rolled into a salad leaf and dipped into a special sauce.
The sauce, Nước mắm dấm, is a kind of fish sauce, which is prepared with lots of sugar and water.