Vietnamese pancakes are a simple but very attractive and delicious dish. Each region has its own way of making Vietnamese pancakes. Today, TasteVN will guide you through 2 ways to make Northern Vietnamese pancakes to treat the family on weekends. Let’s get cooking to make this dish!
1. Northern Vietnamese pancakes with shiitake mushrooms
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Preparation
40 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Northern Vietnamese pancakes with shiitake mushrooms Serves 6
Coconut milk pancake flour 500 gr Ground pork 500 gr Shrimp 500 gr Chicken eggs 2 Shiitake mushrooms 50 gr Carrot 1 Bean sprouts 200 gr Onion 1 Green onions 50 gr Red onion 4 Chili 2 Garlic 1 Lime 2 Turmeric powder 1/3 teaspoon Beer 100 ml Vinegar 2 teaspoons Cooking oil A little Fish sauce 4 tablespoons Common spices A little (salt/sugar/pepper/seasoning powder/msg)
Implementation tools
How to choose quality shiitake mushrooms
- For dried shiitake mushrooms: You should choose mushrooms that are not broken and have a light brown cap. Additionally, you should avoid mushrooms that have an unusual smell or show white mold spots.
- For fresh shiitake mushrooms: You should buy mushrooms that are not bruised and are of moderate size. You should prioritize mushrooms with a tightly curled cap and a slightly yellow-brown color. At the same time, choose mushrooms that have a distinctive, natural aroma.
How to make Northern bánh xèo with shiitake mushrooms
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Mix bánh xèo batter
Add to a bowl 500g of coconut milk bánh xèo flour, 100ml of beer, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 2 chicken eggs, 50g of chopped green onions, and 450ml of filtered water.
Stir the mixture until the flour is completely dissolved.
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Prepare the filling for the pancake
First, wash the shrimp thoroughly, peel and devein them.
Next, peel the onion and slice it thinly. Soak 50g of shiitake mushrooms until soft, rinse with clean water, and chop them finely.
Then, peel the garlic and shallots, rinse briefly, and chop them finely. Peel the carrot, wash it clean, then grate it, reserving a little to slice into small rounds for the dipping sauce.
Tip for quickly softening shiitake mushrooms:- For dried shiitake mushrooms: soak the mushrooms in water for about 1 – 2 hours, then rinse with clean water and drain before cooking. To make the mushrooms swell faster, you can soak them in warm water at 60 – 80 degrees Celsius for 6 – 7 minutes.
- For fresh shiitake mushrooms: you can soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 1 – 2 minutes to clean off all the dirt and sawdust.
See details: How to quickly soak dried shiitake mushrooms
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Stir-frying the filling for pancakes
Place a pan on the stove, add a little cooking oil, and then add minced shallots to sauté until fragrant.
When the shallots are fragrant, add shrimp and meat to the pan along with 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1/3 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Stir-fry the filling over medium heat until fully cooked.
Next, add onions, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms to the pan and continue to stir-fry until the vegetables are cooked.
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Pouring the pancakes
Place a new pan on the stove, add a little cooking oil, and heat it up. When the oil is hot, pour in a little batter mixture and spread it evenly.
Next, add the filling on top of the batter, spread the filling evenly, and place a little bean sprouts on top before folding the pancake in half. Fry the pancake over low heat until both sides are golden and crispy.
Tip: The less batter you pour, the thinner it is, the crispier the pancake will be.
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Making the dipping sauce for savory pancakes
Add to a bowl 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 6 tablespoons of water, 1/4 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 5 teaspoons of sugar, the juice of 2 limes, 2 teaspoons of vinegar, a little pepper, sliced carrots, a little garlic, minced chili.
Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. You can adjust the seasoning or add more chili to suit your family’s taste.
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Final product
Northern savory pancakes with shiitake mushrooms have a crispy shell, a light fragrant taste, filled with rich shrimp and meat, and sweet crunchy vegetables, dipped in a sour and sweet fish sauce with a little spiciness, super delicious.
2. Northern savory pancakes
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Preparation
1 hour
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Northern Vietnamese Pancakes For 6 people
Pancake flour 500 gr Crispy frying flour 100 gr Shrimp 500 gr Pork shoulder 500 gr Coconut milk 100 ml Lemon 1 piece Fresh vegetables for serving 200 gr (lettuce/green cabbage/herbs) Garlic 2 cloves Chili 2 pieces Shallots 4 bulbs Beer 500 ml Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon Fish sauce 2 tablespoons Spring onions a little Common spices a little (sugar/salt/pepper/seasoning powder)
Tools Required
Ingredient Images
How to Make Northern Vietnamese Pancakes
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Prepare the Ingredients
First, wash the shrimp, peel them, remove the black vein, then marinate with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
For the pork, wash it, slice it thinly, and marinate with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Wash the chili and the 2 cloves of garlic, then mince them. Peel the shallots, wash them, and then chop them finely.
Wash the spring onions, then chop them small; for the bean sprouts and fresh vegetables to serve, remove any damaged or bruised parts, then wash them and leave them in a basket to drain.
Make fish sauce
Put into bowl the minced garlic and chili along with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water, then use a spoon to mix well until the fish sauce dissolves.
You can adjust the fish sauce to suit your family’s taste.
Stir-fry ingredients
Place a pan on the stove, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, add minced shallots and sauté until fragrant, then add the marinated shrimp and stir-fry until cooked.
After the shrimp is cooked, transfer it to a bowl and continue to stir-fry the meat in the same way.
Making Vietnamese pancakes
Place a non-stick pan on the stove. Spread a thin layer of oil, and once the pan is hot, pour a very thin layer of batter, spreading it evenly across the surface of the pan.
Next, add some cooked shrimp, meat, and just enough bean sprouts. Keep the heat medium and wait for the pancake edges to turn golden before folding the pancake in half. Brush a little more oil and fry both sides until the pancake is crispy and golden.
Final product
The Northern-style Vietnamese pancake with its eye-catching golden color and enticing aroma is complete. The crispy shell combined with the delicious filling will surely make you fall in love.
You can serve it with lettuce, mustard greens, and aromatic herbs to enhance the flavor and make it less greasy.
How to choose fresh and delicious shrimp
- You should choose shrimp with transparent legs that are tightly attached to the body because that indicates fresh shrimp. Do not buy shrimp with discolored or loose legs.
- Pay attention to buying shrimp with a slightly curved body, firm meat, intact shell, and the head firmly attached to the body.
- Do not buy shrimp with a flared, loose tail, missing fins, and not neatly stacked together as this could indicate shrimp that have been caught for a long time and soaked in preservatives.
How to choose fresh and delicious pork
- You should buy pork that has a bright red or dark red color, shiny, with a dry outer membrane and even meat fibers.
- You should choose pieces of pork that have good elasticity when touched, are firm, and have a natural meat smell when smelled.
- Do not buy meat that is dark red or pale green and is leaking water as this is a sign that the meat has gone bad.
- Additionally, you should also avoid buying pork that has an unpleasant odor, is mushy, and lacks elasticity as this could indicate meat that is about to spoil, which can be very harmful to health when cooking.
- You can use ground meat or thinly sliced lean shoulder meat for better pancake preparation.
Where to buy pancake flour
- You can easily find pancake flour at TasteVN, grocery stores, markets, or supermarkets near your home. In addition, you can also order through the e-commerce site bachhoaxanh.com.
- The price for 1 pack of pancake flour ranges from 10,000 VND/pack of 150g to 38,000 VND/pack of 1kg (Price updated since November 2021).
Tips for keeping pancakes crispy
- The amount of water mixed into the flour needs to be precise; if too much water is added, the finished pancake will be soft and not crispy.
- The thinner you pour the pancake batter and the longer you fry the pancake, the crispier it will be; however, you need to flip it continuously to prevent burning.
- After frying the pancakes, you should place them on oil-absorbing paper or on a rack to air out, without covering them tightly, as covering will cause the pancakes to become soggy quickly.
Tips for storing pancakes
If you have poured the pancakes with shrimp and meat, you should only use them within 1 – 2 days; when eating, just fry them briefly in the pan.
So, TasteVN has just guided you through 2 how to make Northern savory pancakes that are both visually appealing and delicious. Be sure to jot down the recipe to make this dish for the whole family! Wishing you success in your cooking.
