Banh Xeo (Bánh Xèo) — Crispy Vietnamese Turmeric Crepes

• 100 gdried split mung beans
• 200 grice flour
• 30 gcornstarch
• 1.5 tspground turmeric
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 240 mlcanned coconut milk (full-fat, shaken well)
• 360 mlcold sparkling water
• 4scallions (thinly sliced)
• 200 gpork shoulder (very thinly sliced)
• 300 gmedium shrimp (peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise)
• 15 mlfish sauce
• 4 ggranulated sugar
• 1 tspground black pepper
• 1large yellow onion (thinly sliced)
• 300 gbean sprouts
• 60 mlneutral oil (such as rice bran or canola oil)
• 45 mlfresh lime juice
• 90 mlwarm water
• 2 clovegarlic (finely minced)
• 1Thai bird chile (thinly sliced)
• 1 headgreen leaf lettuce (leaves separated and dried)
• 1 bunchfresh mint
• 1 bunchfresh cilantro
• 24perilla leaves
• 1cucumber (cut into batons)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the split mung beans under cool running water until the water runs mostly clear. Cover them with boiling water by 5 cm, soak for 30 minutes, then drain and steam for 12 minutes until tender but still separate.

2. 2

   Make the batter by whisking the rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl until evenly colored. Add the coconut milk and cold sparkling water gradually, whisk until smooth, then rest the batter for 30 minutes so the flour hydrates and the crepes crisp properly.

3. 3

   Stir the sliced scallions into the rested batter just before cooking. The batter should be thin enough to run quickly around the pan; if it has thickened noticeably, whisk in 30 ml additional cold water.

4. 4

   Season the pork and shrimp with 15 ml fish sauce, 4 g sugar, and 1 tsp black pepper. Keep the onion, bean sprouts, steamed mung beans, and batter beside the stove because each crepe cooks quickly and must be assembled in the pan.

5. 5

   Prepare the dipping sauce by stirring 90 ml warm water with 40 g sugar until dissolved. Add 60 ml fish sauce, 45 ml lime juice, minced garlic, and sliced chile, then let the sauce stand for 10 minutes so the garlic softens and the flavors blend.

6. 6

   Heat a 25 cm nonstick or well-seasoned carbon-steel skillet over medium-high heat until a drop of batter sizzles on contact. Add 7.5 ml oil, then add one-eighth of the pork, shrimp, and onion and stir-fry for 60 to 90 seconds until the shrimp begins to turn opaque.

7. 7

   Ladle 90 ml batter into the hot pan and immediately tilt and swirl to coat the bottom in a thin, even layer. Scatter 2 tbsp steamed mung beans and 35 to 40 g bean sprouts over one half, cover for 2 minutes, then uncover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more until the edges are deeply crisp.

8. 8

   Fold the bare half of the crepe over the filled half and slide it onto a warm plate without pressing it flat. Repeat with the remaining oil, filling, sprouts, mung beans, and batter, wiping the pan only if browned bits threaten to burn.

9. 9

   Serve the crepes immediately while they are audibly crisp. Tear off pieces, wrap them in lettuce with mint, cilantro, perilla, and cucumber, then dip each bundle into the fish-sauce dipping sauce.