Vegetarian Pancakes – Banh xeo chay

 Vegetarian pancakes are a delicious and healthy way to enjoy a traditional Vietnamese dish. Banh xeo is a crispy rice flour crepe that is usually filled with meat, shrimp, and bean sprouts. However, you can easily make a vegetarian version with mushrooms, tofu, Jicama, and carrots. You will also need some fresh herbs and lettuce to wrap the pancakes and dip them in a tangy sauce. In this blog post, I will show you how to make the batter with soaked rice and soda water or beer, which gives the pancakes a light and airy texture. I will also share some tips on how to fry the pancakes until they are golden and crunchy. The technique of frying cakes to crispy requires patience over very low heat, and each cake takes at least 10 to 15 minutes. So when you make it for a family with a large number of people, you have to increase this recipe and use multiple pans to fry the cakes. This recipe is perfect for a family meal or a party, as you can make a large batch of pancakes and let everyone assemble their own wraps.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup of rice, soaked overnight

-1 ½ cups club soda or beer

- 1/4 cup cornstarch

- 2 finely chopped green onions

- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

- 1/8 teaspoon salt

- 1/4 cup skinless Mung beans, soaked overnight

- Vegetable oil for frying

- Pancake filling ingredients:

- 2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms of your choice

- 2 cups Jicama roots and shredded carrots

- Salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sugar to taste

- A plate of raw vegetables and herbs, served as a side dish

- Vegetarian dipping sauce ingredients:

- 1 tbsp vegetarian fish sauce

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 1 tbsp lime juice

- 3 tbsp water

- Minced garlic, hot chili, minced

 

Directions:

1. Preparing the ingredients: Wash and drain the raw vegetables and herbs.  Wash the mung beans. Cook the beans in boiling water until soft. Rinse the rice, soaked in water overnight. Drain the rice and blend with 1 cup of water or club soda until smooth. Transfer the batter to a large bowl and whisk in the cornstarch, turmeric, salt, and green onions. The batter should be thin but not to runny.

2. Preparing the filling: Heat some oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for about 10 minutes, or until browned and tender. Season with salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sugar to taste. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. In the same skillet, add more oil if needed and stir-fry the jicama and carrots for about 10 minutes, or until soft and slightly caramelized. Season with salt, pepper, soy sauce, and sugar to taste. Transfer to another plate and keep warm.

3. Frying the pancakes: Heat some oil in a non-stick pan over low heat. Ladle about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of batter into the pan and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Sprinkle some cooked beans, mushrooms, and jicama and carrot on top of the batter. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and browned. Fold the pancake over and cook for another 5 minutes, or until golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.

4. Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the vegetarian fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, water, garlic, and chili. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.

5. Serving: All Pancakes should be placed on a large platter. Serve with vegetables, herbs, and dipping sauce. To eat, take a piece of pancake and place it on a lettuce leaf and herbs of your choice. Fold the lettuce over the pancake and dip it in the sauce. Enjoy!