Vietnamese Crispy Pancakes
Photography: LIZZIE MAYSON
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Vietnamese Crispy Pancakes

Southeast Asia really is a hotbed of wonderful food. The varied textures, incredible freshness and punchy flavours are all reasons why we love dishes from the region. These Vietnamese crispy pancakes make for an impressive-looking dish. If you want to make something that’s going to impress your friends and fill you with pride, give these a try. Just make sure your frying pan for the pancakes is very non-stick, otherwise the batter can catch on the bottom of the pan.
Photography: LIZZIE MAYSON
Serves
4
Total Time
20 Minutes
Ingredients
50g of plain flour
1½ tsp of ground turmeric
1 tsp of salt
135ml of coconut milk
165ml of sparkling water
For the mushrooms
250g of mushrooms (use shiitake if you can find them)
50ml of sesame oil
A pinch of salt
200g of beansprouts
1 tbsp of soy sauce
Salt & black pepper
For the salad
2 carrots
A handful of fresh coriander
A handful of fresh basil
A handful of fresh mint
1 lime
Salt & black pepper
To serve
Sweet chilli sauce
Method
Step 1

Cook the mushrooms first. Roughly chop them and put 1 tbsp of the sesame oil in a frying pan and set it over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and fry, stirring occasionally.

Step 2

Make the pancake batter. Put the flour, turmeric and salt into a bowl and mix to combine. Add the coconut milk and sparkling water and whisk to the consistency of double cream. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Step 3

Return to the mushrooms. Add the beansprouts and soy sauce to the pan and toss together for a minute. Season to taste and set aside.

Step 4

Make the salad. Cut the carrot into ribbons using a vegetable peeler and add to a bowl. Pick the herbs and add the leaves to the bowl. Halve the lime and squeeze over the juice. Toss to combine. Season to taste.

Step 5

Cook the pancakes. Add the rest of the sesame oil to the second frying pan and set it over a medium-high heat. Pour a quarter of the pancake batter into the hot oil and tilt the pan in a circular motion to spread the batter right to the edges. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the edges of the pancake are crisp. Transfer to a plate and place a sheet of baking paper then a clean tea towel on top. Repeat to make 4 pancakes, layering baking paper between each one.

Step 6

Place each pancake onto a serving plate. Add a quarter of the mushroom mixture to one half of each pancake, along with handful of the carrot and herb salad and fold over. Serve with sweet chilli sauce

Recipe Courtesy Of Speedy BOSH! By Henry Firth & Ian Theasby. Out Now (HQ, HarperCollins)

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