Description

Bánh Xèo is a popular Vietnamese dish known as a crispy savory pancake. It’s typically filled with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, and various herbs, making it a delightful and flavorful meal. The name “bánh xèo” translates to “sizzling cake,” which refers to the sound it makes when the batter is poured into the hot pan.

Ingredients

For the Batter:

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (or water)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 green onion, finely chopped

For the Filling:

• 200 g (7 oz) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 100 g (3.5 oz) pork belly or thinly sliced pork shoulder
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts (optional)
• Fresh herbs for serving (e.g., lettuce, mint, cilantro, basil)

Description

Cao Lầu is a traditional dish from Hoi An, Vietnam, featuring thick rice noodles served with pork, fresh herbs, and a flavorful broth. The dish is known for its unique noodles, which are made with a specific type of water from the region and often have a slight chewiness.

Locally sourced ingredients feature prominently in Hoi An cuisine. From the abundance of rice milled from the paddies surrounding the city to the crisp herbs and greens of the local organic Tra Que gardens. It is the freshness of these ingredients that give Hoi An’s local dishes their unique flavour.

Cao lau is a perfect example of this. Made up of sliced roast pork, squares of crispy pork fat, bean sprouts, herbs and greens. The famous Lau noodles then, of course, complete the dish. These noodles are traditionally made from well water, sourced from a few remaining wells in the Old Town, making cao lau unique to Hoi An. Vegetarian versions of this dish are also readily available.