banh xeo vietnamese crepes

Prawn

Banh Xeo Vietnamese Crepes

Bánh xèo (bahn SAY-oh) is a popular street snack in Vietnam. The name means "sizzling pancakes or crêpes" and refers to the sound the batter makes when it hits the hot skillet. Serve these shrimp-studded crêpes with lettuce, fresh mint and basil, and nuoc cham dipping sauce.

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour
½ teaspoon white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup coconut milk
½ cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided, or as needed
2 tablespoons minced shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced, or more to taste
¾ pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons fish sauce, or more to taste
salt to taste
1 pound mung bean sprouts
4 lettuce leaves, or as needed

Directions

Make the crêpe batter: Mix rice flour, sugar, salt, and turmeric together in a large bowl. Beat in coconut milk until thick. Slowly beat in water until it reaches the consistency of a thin crêpe batter.
Make the filling: Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic; cook and stir until fragrant but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add shrimp; sauté until cooked through and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with fish sauce and salt. Transfer filling to a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
Wipe out the skillet and reheat over medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. Stir crêpe batter and pour 1/2 cup into the hot skillet, swirling to coat the bottom. Lay 3 or 4 cooked shrimp on the bottom half of the crêpe. Top with a small handful of bean sprouts. Cook until batter looks set and edges start to brown, about 1 minute. Fold crêpe over and slide onto an oven-safe plate.
Place crêpe in the preheated oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining batter, shrimp, and bean sprouts
Serve crêpes with lettuce leaves. Break off pieces of crêpe and roll them up in lettuce to eat.