Banh Xeo, Happy Pancake!

I'm Avril!(Yi Deun A Park)

Bang, Xeo, Happy Pancake

Crepe Batter

• Rice flour -- 1 cup
• Sugar -- 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt -- 1/2 teaspoon
• Turmeric -- 1/4 teaspoon
• Coconut milk -- 1 cup
• Water -- about 1/2 cup

Filling

• Oil -- 2-3 tablespoons
• Shallots or scallions, minced -- 2-3 tablespoons
• Garlic, minced -- 2-3 cloves
• Shrimp, peeled and deveined -- 3/4 pound
• Fish sauce -- 2-3 tablespoons
• Salt -- to taste
• Mung bean sprouts -- 1 pound

Salad

• Green leaf or romaine lettuce, cleaned and separated into individual leaves -- 1 head
• Cilantro -- 1 bunch
• Mint -- 1 bunch
• Nuoc cham dipping sauce -- 1 recipe

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix together the rice flour, sugar, salt and turmeric. Beat in the coconut milk to make a thick batter, then slowly beat in enough water to make a thin crepe batter. Set aside to rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
2. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium-high flame and add shallots or scallions and garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes without browning. Add the shrimp and sauté for another 3-4 minutes until the shrimp is cooked through. Add the fish sauce and salt to season. Remove shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
3. Wipe out the sauté pan and reheat over medium flame. Add a small amount of oil. Stir the crepe batter well and pour 1/2 cup batter into the saute pan. Swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Lay 3 or 4 of the cooked shrimp over one half of the crepe and then sprinkle a small handful of sprouts over the shrimp. When the the middle of the crepe looks cooked through and the edges of the crepe begin to brown, fold the crepe over to cover the filling and side onto a plate. Hold in a warm oven as you finish the rest of the crepes.
4. To serve the crepes, arrange the lettuce and herbs on a large platter. Give each diner his own individual crepe with a small bowl of nuoc cham dipping sauce. Each diner takes a leaf of lettuce, breaks off a piece of crepe and places it in the leaf along with a few sprigs of the herbs. The leaf is then rolled up, dipped in the sauce and eaten.