Spinach baby coconut crepes (Banh Xeo)
Makes 6 large fold crepes
My vegan international house of pancakes would feature these in huge 10 foot neon letters; bahn xeo, those sizzling neon yellow coconut pancakes of Vietnamese fame, are one of those items often accidentally vegan when ordered with the right toppings. I love adding a little bit of extra spice and a leafy green, but any Asian green works here.
Tip: For best result, cook crepes on a 12 inch cast iron skillet or crepe pan; avoid non-stick pans for high-heat cooking crepes. The best spatula to loosen and flip crepes is long, narrow kind with a bend near the base, appropriately known as a bent spatula.
Crepe batter
½ cup cornstarch
1 ½ cups rice flour
1 cup water
One 14 ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
¾ teaspoon sea salt
Filling
2 cups white button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/2 inch thick
8 oz pressed baked tofu, sliced into matchsticks
2 tablespoons mock nouc mam sauce
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 shallots, peeled and sliced paper thin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
Pinch of salt
1 large yellow onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced into thin half moons
3 cups baby spinach, washed, patted dry and torn into bite sized pieces
2 cups mung bean sprouts
⅓-½ cup vegetable oil or peanut oil for cooking
1. In a blender jar pulse together all of the batter ingredients until smooth and chill the batter for 30 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl toss together sliced mushrooms, baked tofu, mock muoc sauce, shallots, coriander, pepper and salt; keep this bowl of filling near the stovetop as you work. Arrange slices of onion, spinach and sprouts on a dish near your work space. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in 12 inch cast iron skillet or crepe pan over high heat, don’t let the oil burn. Whisk the batter and ladle ½ cup into the hot pan, swirling the pan to cover the bottom with batter. Even sprinkle about 1 cup of filling in an even layer over the crepe. Reduce heat to a low flame, place a large lid on top of the pan and let cook covered for 3-4 minutes. The crepe is done when edges are dry and bottom is brown and crisp: use a thin spatula to separate the crepe from the pan and take a peak underneath to check doneness. If it needs another minute let cook uncovered.
3. Using the spatula fold the crepe in half like an omelet, flip over and cook 30-45 seconds more. Slide the crepe immediately onto a serving plater. To eat, tear pieces of hot crepe, wrap in a lettuce leaf and dip into nuoc cham sauce, chili sauce and/or hoisin.
