Recipe time again.....

Banh Chau

Khmer style pancakes, a perfect lunchtime treat.

Ingredients

Filling

300g of pork, chicken or fish, minced

5 cloves of garlic, crushed

150g bean sprouts

½ stock cube 

 

Pancake

250 g of rice flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp of turmeric

1 egg, whisked

Pinch of salt

Water

4 spring onions, sliced

 

Garnish

Salad leaves

Cucumber, sliced

Fresh herbs (basil, mint, coriander)

               Dipping sauce

100mls vinegar

2 tsp sugar

Peanuts, roasted & crushed

 

Method

Add a tbsp. of oil to a medium heated pan and cook the sliced onions until softened. Add your meat filling and cook until it starts to colour. Finally add the garlic. Once this has cooked stir in the crushed stock cube and mix well. Check for seasoning and set aside.

To make the pancake, mix the dry ingredients together and add in the whisked egg. Combine to form a paste and gradually add water to make a batter that will coat the back of a spoon. Finally add in the sliced sprig onions.

In an oiled medium heated pan, pour in enough of the pancake mixture to create a pancake about 5mm thick. Once the face down side has cooked for a couple of minutes, turn over and cook the other side for thirty seconds.

Lower the heat and add the meat mixture to the centre of the pancake followed by a tablespoon of beansprouts. Cover with a id and let steam for a minute.

Fold over the pancake and place on a serving dish. Repeat so that each person has two pancakes.

Stir the vinegar and sugar together and separate into two small bowls. Sprinkle over the crushed peanuts and place on the serving dish. Arrange your salad leaves, herbs and sliced cucumber together with the pancakes and dipping sauce.

Ideally you should use your hands to break off bits of the pancake, grab some salad and herbs and dip into the sauce  - Enjoy!!