BÁNH XÈO (VEGETARIAN COCONUT PANCAKES WITH CRUNCHY RAW VEGETABLES)

This is one of the healthiest and most delicious vegetarian recipes I have ever tried. I had to change some of the ingredients because I couldn't find them in the supermarkets around the area we live, but it was still unbelievably delicious. The sauce plays a very important part according to my taste, but some people who have tried it, say they also like them without it. I sometimes make mini crepes and serve them as part of an hors d'oeuvre platter.

INGREDIENTS:

Pancakes

200 g rice flour

1 small egg

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground turmeric

400 ml canned coconut milk

a little bit of oil

Sauce

40 ml lime juice

1 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 Tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis)

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 tsp salt

Filling

1 large carrot, peeled

1 mooli (Daikon radish), peeled (I used 1 stalk of celery instead)

4 spring onions

1 fresh green chilli

12 snow peas (mangetout)
a handful of coriander
a handful of Thai basil (or Vietnamese mint or both)
a handful of mint
100 g mung bean sprouts (or alfalfa sprouts, or any other)
100 g enoki mushrooms (I used a capsicum instead)
1 Lebanese cucumber (optional)

METHOD
Start with the batter. Place the rice flour, eggs, salt and turmeric in a large bowl. Slowly add the coconut milk, whisking well to avoid any lumps. You want to get a thinnish pancake batter with the consistency of single cream. Add more coconut milk or water, if necessary (you may need to add some more later, when you are cooking the pancakes, because the batter tends to thicken). Set aside to rest.
To make the sauce, just whisk together all the ingredients, adjusting the amount of chilli to your liking.
Finally, prepare the vegetables. You can shred the carrot and daikon (if using) thinly or just slice it together with the snow peas, green chilli, capsicum and cucumber into long, thin strips. Slice the spring onions on an angle and pick the herb leaves.
Set all the prepared vegetables and herbs aside with the sprouts and mushrooms (if using).

When you are ready to serve the pancakes, heat up a large non-stick frying pan that is roughly 22 cm in diameter, making sure it doesn't get extremely hot. Add a tiny amount of oil.

Pour in about one-quarter of the batter and swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. The edges of the pancake can be thinner than the centre and turn crisp, or it can have the same thickness like a regular pancake. Once the underside is golden brown, turn the pancake over and cook the other side. Remove from the pan and keep warm while you make the other three pancakes.
(You can make more pancakes by using a smaller pan and by adding less batter. They are better when you cook and eat straight away, but I have made them the day before, kept separated by some sheets of baking paper and reheated in the microwave the day after.)

To serve, place a warm pancake on each serving plate and pile the vegetables and herbs over one half of it. Drizzle the vegetables with some sauce and fold the other half of the pancake over them. Spoon some more sauce on top and serve, with any remaining sauce on the side. 

Or just serve the vegetables on a platter and every person can put in their favourite choice of vegetables and herbs!

Serves 4 - 6

This is a vegetarian dish, but the traditional Vietnamese recipe uses fatty pork, prawns and fish sauce. I served it with Duck in Light Teriyaki Sauce and Salt and Pepper Pork Belly for a dinner party. It suited both the vegetarians and the carnivores!! It was delicious!