Banh Xeo

Name: Banh Xeo
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 250 g rice flour; 30 g cornflour (cornstarch); 1 tsp ground turmeric; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for the pork; 1 tsp caster sugar; 400 ml full-fat coconut milk; 350 ml cold sparkling water (or cold still water); 4 spring onions, green tops finely sliced (about 30 g); 300 g pork belly or shoulder, cut into 5 mm-thick strips; 300 g raw peeled prawns (about 24 medium), deveined; 200 g fresh mung bean sprouts; 1 medium onion (about 120 g), thinly sliced; 60 ml neutral oil (peanut or vegetable), for frying; 1 tbsp fish sauce, plus 3 tbsp for the nuoc cham; 3 tbsp fresh lime juice; 2 tbsp caster sugar (for the nuoc cham); 1 garlic clove, finely minced, and 1 small red chilli, finely sliced (for the nuoc cham); 1 head butter lettuce or romaine, leaves separated, plus a large bunch of fresh herbs (mint, perilla, coriander, Thai basil) and 1 cucumber, julienned, to serve

Bánh xèo — whose name literally means sizzling cake — is a crispy Vietnamese crepe coloured bright yellow by turmeric, made from a batter of rice flour and coconut milk. The sizzle it makes when it hits the pan gives the dish its name. It is filled with shrimp, sliced pork, and bean sprouts, folded in half, and slid onto the plate. How it is eaten matters as much as the recipe: torn pieces are wrapped in leaves of butter lettuce or perilla with fresh herbs, then dipped into nuoc cham — fish sauce diluted with lime juice, sugar, and chili. This rhythm of wrapping and dipping makes bánh xèo a communal meal.

Total time1h

Active time30m

Servings4

DifficultyMedium

Cost$

Add to my meal plan

❤️

Rich in protein

Filling and nutritious

⭐

Traditional recipe

Authentic taste

Ingredients 4 servings

250 g rice flour
30 g cornflour (cornstarch)
1 tsp ground turmeric
0.5 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for the pork
1 tsp caster sugar
400 ml full-fat coconut milk
350 ml cold sparkling water (or cold still water)
4 spring onions, green tops finely sliced (about 30 g)
300 g pork belly or shoulder, cut into 5 mm-thick strips
300 g raw peeled prawns (about 24 medium), deveined
200 g fresh mung bean sprouts
1 medium onion (about 120 g), thinly sliced
60 ml neutral oil (peanut or vegetable), for frying
1 tbsp fish sauce, plus 3 tbsp for the nuoc cham
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp caster sugar (for the nuoc cham)
1 garlic clove, finely minced, and 1 small red chilli, finely sliced (for the nuoc cham)
1 head butter lettuce or romaine, leaves separated, plus a large bunch of fresh herbs (mint, perilla, coriander, Thai basil) and 1 cucumber, julienned, to serve

How to make it

1Make the batter at least 30 minutes ahead; whisk together the rice flour, cornflour, turmeric, 0.5 tsp salt, and 1 tsp sugar in a large bowl; pour in the coconut milk and sparkling water and whisk until smooth; stir in the sliced spring-onion greens; cover and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (up to 4 hours) — the resting hydrates the flour for a crisper crepe.
2While the batter rests, mix the nuoc cham; stir 3 tbsp fish sauce, 3 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp sugar, and 4 tbsp warm water in a bowl until the sugar dissolves; add the minced garlic and sliced chilli; set aside.
3Toss the pork strips with 1 tbsp fish sauce and 0.5 tsp pepper; rinse and pat dry the prawns; wash the bean sprouts and shake dry; arrange the lettuce, herbs, and cucumber on a serving platter.
4Heat a 24 cm non-stick pan over medium-high heat; add 1 tsp oil, swirl to coat, then add 2–3 prawns and a handful of pork strips; stir-fry for 60–90 seconds until the prawns curl pink and the pork edges are golden but not fully cooked through.
5Stir the batter, then ladle about 100 ml into the pan, immediately swirling so the batter coats the base in a thin layer and reaches halfway up the sides; drop a small handful of sliced onion over one half of the crepe.
6Cover with a lid for 60 seconds — the steam helps cook the top; then uncover, drizzle 1 tsp oil around the edge, and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, until the edges turn deep golden and lift cleanly from the pan with a thin spatula.
7Pile a handful of bean sprouts onto the half topped with pork and prawns; fold the empty half over to form a half-moon, then slide onto a warmed plate; repeat with the remaining batter, prawns, pork, and bean sprouts; you should get 4–5 crepes.
8Serve immediately, while the crepes are still loud-crispy; to eat: tear a piece, wrap it in lettuce with herbs and cucumber, and dip into the nuoc cham; the crepe should crackle audibly as it bends — if it goes soft, the next one needs a hotter pan and a slightly thinner pour.