Rivera, Lorraine Kaira F.

BSHM CMGT 301S

VIETNAMESE FAMOUS DISHES

Vietnamese Savory Mini Pancakes (Banh Knot)

Banh Khot, or Vietnamese savory mini pancakes, is made from a
batter of rice flour, corn starch, tumeric powder and coconut milk. The batter is
fried on a cast iron Banh Khot or Aebleskiver frying pan to crispy perfection on the
outside and fluffy on the inside. These mini pancakes are topped with shrimp,
brushed with scallion oil and sprinkled with a dash of toasted minced dried prawns.
They come with a plate stacked high in Vietnamese herbs and a small bowl of spicy
and sweet dipping sauce. 
Banh Khot is very similar to its sister dish,  Banh Xeo, or Vietnamese
sizzling crepes. The two dishes are wrapped in leafy greens and dipped in a spicy
and sweet sauce. However, the Banh Khot is much smaller and thicker than the
Banh Xeo. If I have to choose between the two, I would definitely opt for Banh
Khot because who doesn't love food in bite-sized forms?

Eating Banh Khot requires assembly, making it a fun social experience that
is often shared with families and friends.  To eat Banh Khot, you stack an
assortment of leafy greens and herbs in the palm of one hand, place a fried Banh
Khot in the middle and roll everything up. Then you dip the rolled Banh Khot in
the dipping sauce.
INGREDIENTS:
 25 large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
 5 green onions (slice thinly and separate the greens from the whites)
 3 garlic cloves (minced)
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 1 cup salted dried shrimp (soak in water for 5 minutes then drain and rinse)
 Assorted greens: Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Vietnamese Coriander, Sorrell, Perilla, and/or
Mint
 Banh Khot/Aebleskiver frying pan

Batter:
 2 1/3 cup rice flour
 1/4 cup corn starch
 1 cup coconut milk
 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
 3/4 teaspoon salt

PROCEDURES:
1. In a small bowl, combine the shrimp, whites of green onions, garlic, salt and pepper.
Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Make the scallion oil by combining the green part of the green onion and 1 teaspoon of
vegetable oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds on high.
3. Whisk together all the batter ingredients.
4. Place the dried shrimp in a food processor and chopped until fine. In a regular frying pan,
heat a tablespoon of vegetable oil on high. Add the minced shrimp and lightly toss until
completely dried and toasted. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Heat the Banh Khot pan on high and add about 1/2 teaspoon of vegetable oil to each well.
Make sure to coat the oil all over the inside of the wells.
6. Add about 1 tablespoon of batter to each well.
7. Quickly add shrimp on top of the batter.
8. Place a lid on the pan and let the batter cook for about 3-4 minutes.
9. Remove the lid and let it continue cooking for another minute without the lid.
10. Brush a bit of scallion oil over each Banh Khot and add a dash of the toasted dried shrimp
on top.
11. Remove the Banh Khot from the pan with a spoon, starting from the edges and scooping
inward. If the batter breaks apart or stick to the pan, it might not be done yet. Continue to
let the batter cook until crispy on the outside before trying to remove again.
12. Serve with your favorite Vietnamese herbs and a bowl of sweet and spicy dipping sauce.
 Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Pork & Shrimp (Gỏi Cuốn
Tôm Thịt)

Vietnamese Spring Roll or Goi Cuon Tom Thit is a refreshing appetizer

made up of shrimp, pork, thin rice vermicelli noodles, and an assortment of
vegetables rolled in rice paper. They are served at room temperature with a side of
peanut dipping sauce or alternatively, Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce. 
There are many Vietnamese restaurants around me that have spring rolls on the
menu. However, I'm not a fan of restaurant spring rolls. They are usually filled
with way too much noodles and bean sprouts. They also come with a sad amount
of diluted peanut sauce. I like my peanut sauce thick with lots of peanut flavor.
There isn't too much to the dish so the peanut sauce is important, and watery
restaurant peanut sauce isn't going to cut it.
Once you make this dish at home, you'd realize that it doesn't take too much time
to prepare, tastes delicious, and costs so much less to make at home than to eat out
at restaurants.
INGREDIENTS:

 2 lbs shrimp (peel and devein)

 1 lb pork belly (you can also use pork shoulder for a leaner version)

 2 tablespoons salt (divided)

 1 shallot (peel and slice thin)

 1 bag of thin rice vermicelli

 Assortment of vegetables/herbs: lettuce, bean sprouts, sorrel, perilla, garlic

chive and/or mint

 Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Clean the pork belly by scrubbing it down with salt (1 tablespoon) then rinse
under cold running water. I find this to be very helpful in removing a lot of
the foul porky smell.
2. Add water (just enough to cover pork) and the sliced shallots. and salt (1
tablespoon) to a small pot and bring to a boil. Add pork and cook for 30
minutes or until an inserted chopstick goes in easily. Remove pork, rinse, pat
dry. Slice thinly and set aside. You can also chill it in the fridge for about 30
minutes for easier slicing. You can keep the stock water to make the
Vietnamese peanut dipping sauce.
3. To the pot that was used to boil the pork, add shrimp. Cook on medium high
until shrimp turns opaque (or white/orange/pink). Remove from pot and half
along the backside. Set aside.
4. Cook rice vermicelli per package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water
and set aside.
5. Assemble the rolls: Wet the rice paper quickly and shake off excess water. It
will take a few seconds for the rice paper to become pliable enough to roll.
On the bottom end of the rice paper, add a bed of noodles and an assortment
of vegetables and herbs of your choice. Start rolling everything up from the
bottom, tightly tucking in the noodles and vegetables as you roll up. Fold in
the sides when you are half-way through rolling. Add pork slices and shrimp
facing down towards the other end of the rice paper. Putting the shrimp
towards the end of the rice paper allows you to see the shrimpy goodness
through the rolls, which makes it look more appetizing. Seal the rolls by
continuing to roll up.
6. Serve with Vietnamese peanut sauce.

REFERENCES:
  Pham, V. (2020, November 19). Vietnamese Home Cooking Recipes. Vietnamese Home

Cooking Recipes. https://www.vickypham.com/