Vietnamese pancakes appear on "MasterChef" USA

Masterchef US has begun its 14th season - Generations is a battle between home chefs from different generations, including Millennials, Baby Boomers, Gen X and Gen Z.

In the very first episode of season 14, 30-year-old Si Envytnc Nguyen - a Vietnamese immigrant in the US, currently a biotechnology manager, brought to the show banh xeo - a famous street food in Vietnam. He was approved by 3/4 of the judges and received an apron representing the Millennials (Gen Y) generation.

Si Envytnc Nguyen brings banh xeo to compete in Masterchef US season 14.

Si Envytnc Nguyen shared that he immigrated when he was 3 years old, his family was very poor at that time, all he had was food and the love of his family. That's why he wanted to recreate his deceased father's favorite dish as well as let the whole world know how wonderful Vietnamese food is.

The image of banh xeo appeared on the show MasterChef America.

This is not the first time that Vietnamese pancakes have been known to international friends. Banh xeo was ranked 43rd out of 100 best street foods in Asia in 2024 by the world culinary website TasteAtlas.

Banh xeo - a typical Vietnamese street food.

Banh xeo in each region will be slightly different, for example, Banh xeo in the South is thinner and larger in size than Banh xeo in the North. While the main filling of Banh xeo in these two regions is shrimp and meat, Banh xeo in the Central region will have other types of seafood such as squid, octopus, ... and other ingredients.

Banh xeo in the 3 regions of North - Central - South will have different ingredients depending on each place, but basically still cannot lack a bowl of sweet and sour fish sauce to dip the cake and various herbs to eat with.

Instructions for making delicious pancakes

There are many recipes for making banh xeo with different quantities, depending on your preference for crispy or soft banh xeo to pour the cake. If you want to try this rustic cake typical of Vietnamese cuisine, try the following recipe.

Ingredients needed to make pancakes

- 500g minced pork, 1 bag of banh xeo flour, 1 bag of crispy fried flour, 1 bowl of rice flour.

- 250g bean sprouts, 1 jicama, 500g fresh coconut milk, 1 bunch of green onions.

- Spices: Salt, fish sauce, pepper, seasoning powder, lemon, chili, turmeric powder.

- Raw vegetables to eat with depending on your preference such as mustard greens, fish mint, cucumber, basil, mint, coriander,...

- Pickles to eat with: Sweet and sour pickled carrots and radishes (depending on preference).

How to make pancakes

Step 1: Put the pork in a bowl, marinate with 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder, mix well to absorb the spices. You should choose pork belly to mince for a certain richness. Peel the jicama, wash it, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Wash and chop the green onions. Peel the carrots and radishes, wash them, and shred them into small pieces. Similarly, wash bean sprouts and various raw vegetables, soak them in diluted salt water for about 15 minutes, remove them and drain.

Step 2: Mix the cake flour by dissolving coconut milk with 500ml of water. Then add the pancake flour, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, a little seasoning powder, salt, sprinkle with green onions and stir well. Let the dough rest for about 20-30 minutes for the dough to fully expand.

Prepackaged pancake mix is ​​usually seasoned, so you don’t need to add much seasoning. Avoid mixing the batter too thick, which will make the crust thick, difficult to cook, and not tasty. The secret to making the crust crispy longer when frying is to add 1/3 can of beer.

Step 3: Stir-fry the banh xeo filling by heating the pan, adding oil, adding the meat and stir-frying over low heat. When the meat is cooked, add the jicama and stir-fry until it turns brown, then add the green onions and stir-fry again.

Step 4: Pour the pancake batter. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the pan. When the oil is hot, pour in 1 ladle of batter, tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly. Add the meat, jicama and a little bean sprouts. Cover the pan for about 30 seconds until the batter is cooked. Wait for the crust to turn golden brown, then fold the pancake in half and fry the remaining batter until both sides are golden brown. Do the same until all the batter is used up. When pouring the pancake, use low heat so the pancake will cook evenly and taste better. Using high heat makes the pancake crust burn easily while the filling is not cooked, making it tough and losing its deliciousness.

Step 5: Make sweet and sour dipping sauce in the ratio: 3 tablespoons sugar + 1/2 bowl fish sauce + 1/2 bowl warm water + 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add minced garlic and chili to taste.

Step 6: For the pickled vegetables, it should be done before pouring the pancakes. Put the shredded white radish and carrots in a bowl, marinate with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 5 tablespoons of vinegar, 200ml of filtered water, mix well and leave for about 10 minutes to soften the radish and carrots.

Finished product: Put the cake on a plate, present the pancake with lettuce, green vegetables, herbs, pickles, dip with sweet and sour fish sauce and eat while still hot for best taste.

Source: https://toquoc.vn/banh-xeo-viet-nam-xuat-hien-tai-vua-dau-bep-my-20240613210612917.htm