BAHN XEO - VIETNAMESE PANCAKE

This Vietnamese Pancake stands out for me, as it is one of the most creative and mind-blowing dishes I have ever made. This Banh Xeo is also the most colourful dish I have ever prepared, as you can see by the vibrant hues in the photo above.  Whilst you would think that the preparation and cooking would be quite arduous, it was actually surprisingly fun, as you knew that the end result would be unlike anything else you had created. Traditionally, these pancakes are served with fatty pork and prawns as a filling, however I omitted the pork, not being a raving fan of this meat myself. You can make a vegetarian version of the dish by simply removing the prawns from the ingredient list. Thanks to chef Yotam Ottolenghi for this imaginative and inspiring recipe! 

INGREDIENTS

Pancakes

• 200g rice flour
• 1 egg, preferably free range
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• sesame oil
• Optional - water & sea salt 

Sauce 

• 1/8 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce

Filling

• 2 medium carrots, peeled & cut into matchsticks (small, thin pieces)
• 1 medium lebanese cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 3 spring onions, cut into small pieces on an angle
• 1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
• 200g bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander or fresh mint, finely chopped
• 200g cooked & defined prawns, with tails removed (marinated with 1 finely chopped garlic clove & 1 teaspoon sesame oil)

COOKING 

1. To make the pancake batter, combine the rice flour, egg, turmeric and a pinch of sea salt in a large bowl. Gradually add the coconut milk, whisking well so no lumps of flour exist. We are aiming for a very thin, runny batter, therefore slowly add water if all the coconut milk has been used and the batter is not at this consistency (you may find that the batter will thicken slightly through the preparation stages, therefore you may need to add more water right before step 3). Set aside. 

2. To make the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Add more chilli if you like or remove completely if you do not like any spice. 

3. Before making the pancakes, check if you need to add any more liquid to the batter (refer to step 1). Heat a small amount of sesame oil over medium heat in a non-stick frying pan of around 20-22cm in diameter. Pour in one-quarter of the batter and swirl around the pan so that the consistency between the edges and the centre of the pancake are as even as can be. Once a substantial amount of air bubbles have appeared on the surface of the batter (this will take around 2 minutes of cooking time) very gently flip the pancake over and cook the other side for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the pan and cover the pancake to keep warm as you repeat this process with the remaining batter to make four pancakes in total. 

4. Meanwhile, using a small frying pan over medium heat, add the prawns and the marinade and cook for 4 minutes or until prawns are pink in colour. Remove from heat and set aside. 

5. Place a warm pancake on each serving plate and place the filling you desire (carrot, cucumber, red cabbage, spring onions, bean sprouts, herbs and/or prawns) in the middle of the pancake, leaving some space on the edges of the pancake. Drizzle with sauce and fold the edges of the pancake over so you can pick it up. Serve with remaining sauce on the side to use as a dipping sauce for the pancake. 

Serves / 2 as a main meal or 4 as a light meal

Total Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

x E