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Bánh Xèo, the Vietnamese sizzling pancake, is a dish that immediately captures your attention with its golden colour, crispy edges, and unmistakable sound as it sizzles in the pan.
More than just a pancake, Bánh Xèo is a culinary experience, a blend of textures, flavours, and aromas that bring together the best of Vietnamese cooking. Whether shared with friends or enjoyed alone, this dish is a true reflection of Vietnam’s vibrant food culture, inviting you to savour each bite.
What Is Bánh Xèo?
Bánh Xèo is a savoury Vietnamese pancake made from a rice flour batter, coconut milk, and turmeric, which gives it its beautiful yellow colour. The batter is poured into a hot pan, where it cooks to a thin, crispy layer, and is then filled with a mix of shrimp, pork, and bean sprouts.
The name “Bánh Xèo” translates to “sizzling cake,” a reference to the sound the batter makes as it hits the hot pan. This sizzling sound, along with the aroma of the cooking ingredients, is part of the sensory experience that makes Bánh Xèo so memorable.
Once cooked, the pancake is typically folded in half, creating a pocket of delicious fillings held within a crispy shell. Bánh Xèo is served with fresh herbs like mint, cilantro, and Thai basil, along with lettuce leaves for wrapping.
A side of nước chấm, a tangy, slightly sweet dipping sauce made from fish sauce, lime, garlic, and chili, completes the dish, balancing the richness of the pancake with a bright, refreshing contrast.
Ingredients and Taste
The ingredients of Bánh Xèo are thoughtfully chosen to create a balance of flavours and textures that excite the senses. The batter, made from rice flour and coconut milk, is thin yet rich, creating a crispy, slightly chewy pancake that has a subtle hint of sweetness from the coconut.
Turmeric adds a gentle earthiness as well as the pancake’s signature yellow hue, while the filling, often a mix of shrimp and thin slices of pork, adds a savoury richness.
Fresh bean sprouts are tossed in for crunch and freshness, lightening the dish. When eaten, the pancake is typically wrapped in lettuce leaves with a variety of fresh herbs, which add layers of aroma and flavour, enhancing each bite with minty, peppery, and slightly bitter notes.
Dipping each bite in nước chấm creates a burst of flavour; salty, tangy, and slightly sweet, that complements the savoury, crispy pancake perfectly. This interplay of crispy, savoury, and fresh makes Bánh Xèo a dish that feels both comforting and refreshing, with each bite offering a new combination of flavours.
A Taste of History
Bánh Xèo has a long history in Vietnam, with its origins thought to be influenced by French crêpes introduced during the colonial period. Over time, Vietnamese cooks adapted the dish, adding their own ingredients and flavours to create something uniquely Vietnamese.
Traditionally, Bánh Xèo was a dish enjoyed during special occasions or family gatherings, where large skillets were used to make oversized pancakes that could be shared among several people.
The use of rice flour and fresh herbs reflects the influence of the country’s agricultural roots, where rice and fresh produce play central roles in daily cooking. Bánh Xèo’s evolution across different regions of Vietnam has led to various interpretations of the dish, with some areas adding ingredients like coconut milk to the batter or incorporating regional flavours into the fillings.
Today, it remains a beloved dish, celebrated not only for its flavour but for the way it brings people together, as eating Bánh Xèo is as much a social experience as it is a culinary one.
Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Sizzling Pancake) Recipe
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
For the Pancake Batter:
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (for colour)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup coconut milk or water (adjust for desired consistency)
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
For the Filling:
- 200g (about 1/2 lb) shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 200g (about 1/2 lb) pork belly or pork shoulder, thinly sliced
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving:
- Fresh lettuce leaves
- Fresh herbs (mint, basil, cilantro)
- Nuoc Cham dipping sauce (mix 1/4 cup fish sauce, 1/4 cup water, juice of 1 lime, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1 chopped chili)
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the rice flour, turmeric powder, and salt. Gradually add the coconut milk or water while stirring, ensuring a smooth, lump free batter. Fold in the sliced green onions. Let the batter rest for 15-20 minutes to achieve a light, crispy texture.
Prepare the filling ingredients. Season the shrimp and pork slices lightly with salt and pepper. Slice the onion thinly, keeping it ready for cooking. This preparation ensures an even and quick cooking process.
In a non-stick skillet or well-seasoned pan, heat a small amount of oil over medium-high heat. Add a few slices of pork and shrimp, searing until they just start to brown. Then, add a few slices of onion, stirring to soften for an aromatic base.
Give the batter a quick stir. Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet, swirling the pan to create a thin, even layer. The batter should be spread quickly to cover the pan surface, forming a thin, crispy pancake.
While the batter is still wet, sprinkle a small handful of bean sprouts over one half of the pancake. Cover the skillet with a lid, allowing the pancake to steam for 1-2 minutes, which helps the filling soften and warms through the sprouts.
After steaming, remove the lid and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the bottom of the pancake is golden and crispy. Adjust the heat if needed to prevent burning, as Bánh Xèo is known for its light crispiness without over browning.
Fold the pancake in half over the filling. Carefully slide the pancake onto a serving plate. Repeat this process with the remaining batter and filling ingredients to make additional pancakes.
Serve the Bánh Xèo warm, accompanied by fresh lettuce leaves, herbs, and Nuoc Cham dipping sauce. To eat, wrap a piece of pancake in a lettuce leaf with herbs, then dip it in the sauce. This combination of crispy, savoury pancake with fresh herbs and tangy sauce embodies traditional Vietnamese flavors beautifully. Enjoy!
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