D is For Dinner features Vietnamese crepes

Kim Nguyen says food has been her family business for decades — from Vietnam to Vancouver and, eventually, to Ottawa.

Her family opened Pho'licious — a little restaurant in Chinatown — in 2008, before opening SEN Asian Cuisine at Lansdowne Park this past August.

Her mother and father prepare the Asian fusion cuisine at SEN, including Vietnamese crepes, called Bánh Xèo in Vietnamese.

Nguyen shared her family's recipe on D is For Dinner, the weekly food segment on CBC Radio's All In A Day.

Vietnamese crepes

Batter ingredients

• 200 g rice flour.
• 65 g  wheat flour. 
• 1 to 2 tsp. turmeric powder.
• (Or use 200 g premixed Flour For Pancake, available at Asian grocery stores.)
• Pinch of salt.
• 2 cups warm water.
• ¼ cup coconut milk.

Filling ingredients

• 1 to 2 tsp. vegetable oil.
• Onion.
• Shrimps, shelled and de-veined.
• Thinly sliced pork belly.
• Bean sprouts.
• Jicama, peeled and cut in thin long strips. 

Dipping sauce ingredients

• 4 tablespoons of fish sauce.
• 1 cup of warm water.
• 4 tbsp. of sugar.
• 2 tbsp. vinegar (can be substituted with fresh lime juice).
• 1 clove garlic, peeled, crushed and coarsely chopped.
• ½  freshly chopped Thai bird's eye chili (optional).

Serving vegetables

• Lettuce leaves.
• Cilantro leaves.
• Mint leaves.
• Vietnamese lemon mint leaves.

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all batter ingredients. Stir mixture well until smooth. Set aside and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine all dipping sauce ingredients. Stir well until sugar is dissolved. Add chili to mixture if desired. Set aside.
3. On medium-high heat, add vegetable oil to a frying pan.
4. Add onions, a few pieces of pork and shrimp. Sauté for a few minutes (or until lightly browned).
5. Pour on some batter (about ½ cup) and immediately swirl the pan so that batter is evenly distributed. 
6. Add some bean sprouts and jicama. Cover with a lid for two to three minutes. 
7. Remove the lid once the crepe is crispy, and fold in half with a spatula.
8. Transfer to a plate and enjoy with dipping sauce and serving vegetables.