Sizzling Vietnamese Crêpe/Bánh Xèo

Bánh Xèo (ban say-oh) is a light and appetizing rice crêpe with meat and vegetables fillings. It is served with the nuoc cham, a spicy and piquant fish sauce, along with a side dish of various types of aromatic herbs and lettuce. To eat it, you would wrap a small piece of crêpe with lettuce and herbs into a bundle and dip into the sauce.

Ingredients:
Batter:
2 cups rice flour
1½ cups coconut milk
1 cup water
1½ tsp. ground turmeric
½ tsp. curry powder (optional)
½ tsp. salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Oil for frying
Fillings:
½ lb shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut into slices
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 red chilies, sliced thinly
½ cup mushrooms, sliced thinly
2-3 cups bean sprouts
Salt and pepper to taste
A good amount of lettuce and aromatic herbs: perilla leaves, mint leaves, basil, & cilantro
Dipping Sauce:
¼ cup good quality fish sauce (3 crabs or flying horse brand)
½ cup sugar
½ cup boiled water
3-4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 red chili, sliced thinly (optional)
2 tsp. Ma Ploy chili sauce
Method:
1. Add rice flour, turmeric powder and salt in to a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix and then add water and coconut milk. Whisk the mixture until smooth and free from lumps. Strain mixture through a fine sieve. The consistency of the batter should be such that it thinly coats a spoon. Leave the batter to rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, about 25-30 minutes.
2.To make dipping sauce: In a bowl, add sugar and water and stir to dissolve sugar. Add fish sauce, lime juice, followed with garlic and chilies.
3.To make Crêpe: Heat a 10-inch non-stick pan with a tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Add a small equal amount of onions, shrimp, mushrooms, and scallions. Stir fry until shrimp are half done. Spoon half a cup of batter into the pan. Swirl pan to coat the batter evenly. Add the bean sprouts on one side of the crepe, drizzle some oil around the outside edges of crepe. Turn heat to medium low and cover pan to cook the crepe completely for about a minute. Remove cover and continue to cook until the batter sets  and begins to brown on the sides. Loosen on one side (without the bean sprouts) and gently fold crepe over the bean sprouts. Turn it over to a plate and serve immediately with salad and dipping sauce.
Printable Recipe