Banh Xeo – Saigon Street Crepe
Banh xeo is a popular and delicious street food from Vietnam. It looks similar to a crepe, but the batter is made with fine rice flour, cornstarch and coconut milk rather than egg. This recipe calls for shrimp, but you can go wild with whatever filling you wish to include. You will often see this in Vietnamese restaurants with shrimp and pork, but all you have to do is substitute the protein and you can make this dish completely vegan. Plus, the batter is totally gluten-free!
My Thai twist on banh xeo is actually really easy to make. I’d say the toughest part is to resist disturbing the batter as the heat works its magic in your skillet. You just gotta trust the process! And trust me that you’re gonna love this crunchy, savory dish.
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a bowl, combine rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, sugar, salt, coconut milk and water. Mix thoroughly and let the batter sit for 20 minutes.
Step 2
In a sauce pot, mix fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, and water. Bring to a simmer until sugar dissolves and remove from heat. Add red onion, garlic, and peanuts.
Step 3
Over medium-high heat, add a little oil to a pan. Pour enough batter to completely coat the bottom of the pan. Add shrimp to one half of the crepe surface while the batter is still soft.
Step 4
As the crepe cooks, add carrots, bean sprouts, peanuts, Thai basil, and cilantro to the shrimp half of the batter. Allow the crepe to cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes until golden and crispy.
Step 5
Fold the crepe in half and flip it over. Serve with fresh lettuce leaves and garnish with more basil, peanuts, and cilantro.