Banh khot
Bánh khọt: little crisp coconut-turmeric rice cakes topped with shrimp
Weekend visitors from Saigon who drive down to the beach town of Vũng Tàu make a point of eating bánh khọt at open-air stalls, where cooks tend rows of dimpled clay or cast-iron pans over charcoal. The batter of rice flour, coconut milk and turmeric fries into bite-sized cups with a shatteringly crisp base and a soft, custardy top, each finished with a small shrimp and spring onion oil. You wrap them in mustard greens or lettuce with herbs and dip them in sweet-sour fish sauce. At home, an aebleskiver or takoyaki pan works well. Chef's tip: cover the pan for the first minute so steam sets the tops, then uncover so the bottoms crisp in the oil.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the batter
For the topping
For cooking and serving
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Whisk 7 oz rice flour, 2 tbsp tapioca starch, 1 tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp salt with ¾ cup coconut milk and 1 cup cold water to a smooth, thin batter like single cream. Leave to rest for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the rest.
15 minStep 2: Toss 9 oz small raw shrimp with 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp fish sauce, ½ tsp sugar and ¼ tsp ground black pepper and leave to marinate.
Step 3: Warm 3 tablespoons of 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan over a low heat, take it off the heat and stir in 3 spring onions. This is the spring onion oil for the topping.
2 minStep 4: Heat a bánh khọt, aebleskiver or takoyaki pan over a medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Put about 1 teaspoon of the remaining ½ cup vegetable oil in each hollow and heat until it shimmers. Common mistake: a pan that is not hot enough or too lightly oiled makes the cakes stick and stay pale; they should sizzle loudly as the batter goes in.
3 minStep 5: Stir the batter, which settles, and fill each hollow about three-quarters full. Cover the pan and cook for 1 minute until the top starts to set.
1 minStep 6: Uncover, place a shrimp on each cake and cook for 4–5 minutes more, adding a few drops of oil round the edges, until the bases are deep golden and crisp and the shrimp is pink and opaque.
5 minStep 7: Ease the cakes out with a spoon or skewer onto a plate and brush the tops with a little spring onion oil. Repeat until the batter is used up, oiling the pan each time.
18 minStep 8: Serve hot: wrap each cake in 1 mustard greens or lettuce leaves with 1 oz mint, perilla and Vietnamese coriander and dip in ¾ cup Vietnamese fish-sauce dip (nước chấm).
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does banh khot take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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