Banh Khot

Ingredients

• 200g rice flour
• 30g cornflour
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 200ml coconut milk
• 300ml water
• 150ml sparkling water
• 3 spring onions, finely sliced
• 24 raw prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp fish sauce for the prawns
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar for the prawns
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 tbsp neutral oil for the pan
• 1 head soft lettuce, leaves separated
• 1 large bunch mint, perilla and coriander
• 1 cucumber, cut into batons
• 4 tbsp fish sauce for the dip
• 4 tbsp caster sugar for the dip
• 5 tbsp warm water for the dip
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely julienned

Before you cook

• Whisk the rice flour, cornflour, turmeric and salt with the coconut milk and water until completely lump-free.
• Rest the batter at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Peel and devein the prawns, then toss them with a tablespoon of fish sauce, half a teaspoon of sugar and the black pepper.
• Dissolve 4 tablespoons of sugar in the warm water, then stir in 4 tablespoons of fish sauce, the lime juice, garlic, chilli and julienned carrot to make the nuoc cham.
• Wash the lettuce and herbs and pile them on a platter with the cucumber batons.

Steps

1. Stir the sparkling water and sliced spring onions into the rested batter just before cooking.
2. Set a banh khot pan or an aebleskiver pan over medium-high heat for 3 minutes until properly hot.
3. Brush each well generously with oil and wait until it shimmers.
4. Pour batter into each well until it is about two-thirds full.
5. Drop one seasoned prawn into the centre of each pancake.
6. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 4 minutes, until the edges are lacy and deep gold and the prawns have turned pink.
7. Slide a thin spoon around each pancake and lift it out onto a rack, never a plate, so the base stays crisp.
8. Wipe the pan, re-oil the wells, and cook the remaining batter in the same way.
9. Serve the pancakes hot with the herb platter and the bowl of nuoc cham.
10. Show everyone how to eat one: wrap a pancake in a lettuce leaf with herbs and cucumber, then dunk the whole parcel in the dipping sauce.