Bánh Xèo (Vietnamese Crepes)

Ingredients :

1. 1⁄2lb boneless pork loin
2. 20medium shrimp
3. 10fresh cilantro stems
4. 10fresh basil sprigs
5. 10fresh mint sprigs
6. 2cups rice flour
7. 1⁄2cup self-rising flour
8. 2 1⁄2cups water
9. 1cup coconut milk
10. 1⁄2teaspoon curry powder
11. 1teaspoon sugar
12. 1⁄2teaspoon salt
13. 1green onion, chopped
14. 1medium onion, coarsely chopped
15. 3cups bean sprouts
16. 5tablespoons oil

Direction :

1. Place pork loin in a saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil over medium heat; simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
2. Allow pork to cool, then julienne into strips.
3. Shell and devein shrimp; slice each one in half lengthwise.
4. Rinse herbs and drain; set aside.
5. In a mixing bowl, prepare batter by mixing rice flour, self-rising flour, water, coconut milk, curry powder, sugar, salt, and green onion until smooth.
6. Divide pork, shrimp, onion, and bean sprouts into 5 separate little piles for easy access during cooking.
7. Heat 1 tbsp oil in non-stick frying pan until hot; cook pork shrimp and onion until it starts to sizzle; add 1/2 cup of batter and swirl to cover pan and get batter underneath.
8. Place one pile of bean sprouts towards the center of the crepe, then cover the pan tightly.
9. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes, then uncover and loosen edges of crepe and fold over with a spatula to form an omelette.
10. Transfer the crepe to a serving platter.
11. Repeat process with rest of batter.
12. Do not cover the cooked crepes or stack them (they will lose their crispness- they should remain light and airy).
13. To serve, place one crepe on a plate with some lettuce leaves, herbs also with a small bowl of nuoc cham.
14. The person cuts a portion of crepe, wraps it in a leaf of lettuce with some herbs, and dips it in the sauce.