How to make Bánh Xèo, a quick and easy savoury, gluten free Vietnamese pancake, "Xèo" refers to the sizzling sound made by the batter hitting the hot pan.
Mix the flour, turmeric, salt, sugar and white pepper in a large bowl and create a well in the centre.
300 g rice flour, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp white sugar, 1 pinch white pepper
Slowly add the water and coconut milk and gently whisk to create a smooth batter. Set aside.
300 ml water, 200 ml coconut milk
Let's make the filling. Heat 2 Tbsp of the oil in a wok or frying pan and sauté the shallots for a minute.
2 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 shallot
Add the chicken and fish sauce and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring well.
200 g chicken, 1 tsp fish sauce
Add the prawns and mushrooms and cook on fairly medium high heat until the prawns are done and the juice from the mushroom is all dried up. Take off heat. We use the beansprouts later.
100 g prawns/shrimps, 1 handful shiitake mushrooms
Get a crêpe pan or a large heavy base frying pan and heat it on medium high heat. Grease it well with 1 tsp oil.
peanut or vegetable oil as needed for cooking the pancakes
When the pan is hot, pour in a ladleful of the batter and very quickly swirl the pan so the batter forms a circle and covers the pan.
Immediately follow with about a handful of the cooked filling and some beansprouts and spring onions, scattering it evenly on one half, but not too close to the edge. If your pan is large, aim to divide the filling into about 4 portions, if not, 5 or 6 depending on how many you think you'll get. At the worst, the last pancake will have lots of filling!
2 handfuls beansprouts, 3 spring onions
Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 3-4 minutes until the edges are crisping up. We go for 5-6 as we love crisp! If you're not too sure, slowly lift up one edge of the pancake slightly and check the level of doneness.
With a spatula, lift the unfilled half of the pancake and fold over, slide onto a plate and serve immediately with a side salad and dipping sauce.
Lettuce
The dipping sauce
Mix all of the ingredients and serve in little dipping bowls.
100 ml fish sauce, juice of 1 lime, 3 birds eye chillies, 1 small clove garlic, 2 Tbsp palm or white sugar, 1 Tbsp of finely chopped cucumber, 1 spring onion