For ➍200 g boneless pork loin
16 medium shrimps
8 fresh coriander stems
8 fresh basil sprigs
8 fresh mint sprigs
90 g rice flour
12,5 cl water
10 cl coconut milk
½ ts turmeric (or curry powder)
1 ts sugar
½ ts salt
1 green onion, chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
60 g bean sprouts
½ ts sesame oil
1 tbs vegetable oil
red leaf lettuce
4 small bowls of nuoc cham dipping sauce*
Place pork loin in a saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer until cooked through, about 20 m.
Allow pork to cool. Cut into tiny strips.
Shell and devein shrimps. Slice each one in half lengthwise.
Rinse herbs and drain. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, prepare batter by mixing rice flour, water, coconut milk, turmeric or curry powder, salt, and green onion until smooth.
Divide pork, shrimp, onion, and bean sprouts into 5 separate little piles for easy access during cooking.
Heat a little sesame oil in non-stick frying pan until hot.
Cook pork, shrimp and onion until it starts to sizzle.
Pour a little vegetable oil in a pan. When almost smoking, add 2 tbs of batter and bake for 2-3 m. Put a small pile of the cooked mixture on one half of the crepe. Place one pile of bean sprouts towards the center of the crepe. Fold the other half of the crepe over the first.
Transfer the crepe to a serving platter.
Repeat process with rest of batter and ingredients.
Do not cover the cooked crepes or stack them, or they will lose their crispness.
To serve, place one crepe on a plate with some lettuce leaves, herbs and a small bowl of nuoc cham. The person cuts a portion of crepe, wraps it in a leaf of lettuce with some herbs, and dips it in the sauce. Serve with a cold blond lager beer.
*Use soy sauce instead.
Banh xeo are very popular in South East Asia. Depending on the region, the recipe might vary a little bit, even in Vietnam. This recipe is the southern variant. The Kampuchean version is called banh chiao. Banh is a whole category of small food items, some of them steamed cakes, but always filled in some way or another, even resulting in some (very American) Viet style pork sandwiches.
