How to Cook Savory Saigon Crepes

Serves: 4-6

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients needed to make Savory Saigon Crepes:

For the batter:

• 2 cups rice flour
• ½ tsp curry powder
• 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 3 scallions, finely sliced
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 1/3 cups water

For the filling:

• 4 oz pork shoulder, thinly sliced
• 2 cups white mushrooms, sliced, lightly sautéed and drained
• 4 cups bean sprouts
• 12 medium raw shrimps, shelled and deveined
• ¼ yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

For the ginger-lime dipping sauce:

• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup  fish sauce
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp garlic, chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 3 Thai bird chiles, stemmed and chopped
• 3 tbsp sugar

Cooking instructions for Savory Saigon Crepes:

• Toss the chiles, garlic, ginger and sugar into a mortar and bash them into a smooth paste.
• Tip it into a small bowl and whisk in a splash of lime juice, fish sauce and water until well combined.
• Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the flavours infuse into the dipping sauce and set aside until the crepes are ready to serve.
• To make the crepes, place the rice flour in a bowl and stir in the curry powder, ground turmeric and a dash of salt until mixed well.
• Whisk in the coconut milk, followed by water until they blend into a uniform, smooth batter; set aside.
• To make the filling, drizzle a tbsp oil in a large skillet and heat it over high flame until it shimmers.
• Throw in ¼ of the onion slices into the pan and stir in the shrimp as well as pork until well mixed.
• Sauté briefly for a minute until the mixture turns fragrant and transfer it into a bowl; set aside.
• Pour 2/3 cup of the batter into the same pan, and tilt the latter to spread it across the pan.
• Cook until the bottom of the crepe sets and spoon a portion of the pork-shrimp mixture along one edge of the crepe, slightly towards its centre and top it up with a cup of bean sprouts on top.
• Spread ½ cup mushrooms over it and cook, covered, over slightly reduced heat, until its edges are set and separate from the sides of the pan.
• Lower the heat, and cook, uncovered, over slow flame for a couple of minutes, until the crepe crisps up and the pork-shrimp mixture is cooked through.
• Fold the uncovered edge over the filling and cook for another minute before sliding it carefully into a serving plate.
• Make rest of crepes in a similar fashion and serve warm alongside the prepared dipping sauce.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons