How to Make Fragrant and Delicious Three-Region Vietnamese Pancakes

Vietnamese pancakes are a beloved snack across all three regions of Vietnam: North, Central, and South, each with its own unique flavor profile. If you enjoy cooking, try your hand at making Vietnamese pancakes from all three regions to experience the delightful variations. In this article, Mytour Blog will guide you through creating this enticing dish.

How to Make Northern Vietnamese Pancakes

Vietnamese pancakes are a familiar dish to the people of Northern Vietnam. These pancakes have a crispy golden exterior with a savory filling of shrimp, meat, and vegetables. They are typically served with a tangy, slightly spicy dipping sauce. Let's head to the kitchen and make these pancakes following the instructions below:

 Ingredients for Northern Vietnamese Pancakes

Steps to Make Pancakes

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Clean the shrimp, remove the shells, and devein. Then, marinate the shrimp with salt, seasoning powder, and pepper.
• Wash the meat thoroughly with salt to remove any odor, then slice it thinly and marinate it with salt, seasoning powder, and sugar.
• Peeled and washed shallots and garlic, then finely chop or mince them.
• Wash the chilies thoroughly and finely chop them.
• Clean and drain the spring onions, raw vegetables, and mung bean sprouts.
• Peel and wash the carrots, then julienne them.

Step 2: Prepare the Pancake Batter

Mix 500g of flour with 100g of crispy fried flour, ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, and finely chopped spring onions. Then, add 500ml of filtered water, 500ml of beer, and 100ml of coconut milk to the flour mixture and stir well.

Step 3: Stir-fry the Shrimp and Meat Until Cooked

• Heat oil in a pan on the stove, then sauté the shallots and garlic until fragrant.
• Add the meat to the pan and stir-fry until well-cooked, then continue by adding the shrimp and stir-fry until cooked.
• Turn off the heat and transfer the shrimp and meat to a large bowl.

Step 4: Pour the Pancake Batter

• Place the pan on the stove and brush a thin layer of oil on top.
• Heat the pan and pour a thin layer of batter, then tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly across the pan.
• Wait for 1 – 2 minutes until the pancake is cooked, then add shrimp, meat, and mung bean sprouts in the middle of the pancake and carefully fold the pancake in half.
• Cover with a lid and wait for about 5 minutes until the pancake is cooked and golden brown.

Step 5: Prepare the Dipping Sauce for Pancakes

Pour 2 tablespoons of fish sauce into a bowl, then add 2 tablespoons of water, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, a bit of sugar, julienned carrots, and minced chili and garlic. Then, stir well and adjust the sweetness and saltiness to taste.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy the Pancakes

Northern Vietnamese pancakes are served with raw vegetables and sweet and sour fish sauce. The crispy outer shell of the pancakes combined with the filling and dipping sauce will keep you coming back for more.

How to Make Central Vietnamese Pancakes

Essentially, the method for making pancakes in the Central region is similar to that in the North, with a slight variation in the filling, which may include beef, squid, and more. Additionally, people from the Central region often enjoy their pancakes with various dipping sauces, such as sweet and sour fish sauce or peanut dipping sauce.

Ingredients for Central Vietnamese Pancakes

Steps to Make Pancakes

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

• Clean the shrimp, peel, devein, and remove the black thread on the back.
• Wash the beef thoroughly and slice thinly.
• Clean and drain the raw vegetables, spring onions, mung bean sprouts... Spring onions should be finely chopped. Peel and slice the onions into wedges.
• Marinate the beef and shrimp with a little salt, seasoning powder, and sugar.

Step 2: Prepare the Pancake Batter

• Combine rice flour, turmeric powder, and a pinch of salt. Add water and coconut milk, stirring well to create a smooth, lump-free mixture. Then, add finely chopped spring onions and a bit of cooking oil, and stir well.

Step 3: Sauté the Shrimp and Meat

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the onions until fragrant, then add the shrimp and meat and cook until done. Season with additional spices to taste.

Step 4: Pour the Pancake Batter

• Use a small pan and heat the oil.
• Pour a thin layer of batter onto the pan, gently swirling the pan to spread the batter evenly.
• When the pancake is cooked, add the shrimp, beef, and a few mung bean sprouts.
• Cover with a lid for about 2 minutes until the pancake is cooked and golden, then fold it in half.

Step 5: Prepare the Dipping Sauce

In a bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, ½ tablespoon of water, 1 tablespoon of sugar, ½ tablespoon of MSG, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice. Stir the ingredients well, then add minced garlic and chili.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy the Pancakes

Central Vietnamese pancakes are often rolled with rice paper, served with raw vegetables, and fish sauce. Additionally, you can customize the dipping sauce with fermented fish sauce and peanuts to experience the fragrant and rich flavor of the dish.

How to Make Southern Vietnamese Pancakes

Unlike the North and Central regions, Southern Vietnamese pancakes are typically larger in size. The outer shell is crispy and the filling is more diverse. No matter where you're from, if you want to experience the taste, step into the kitchen and follow the instructions below:

Ingredients for Southern Vietnamese Pancakes

• 500g rice flour.
• 200g turmeric powder.
• 550ml water.
• 100ml coconut milk.
• 500g pork belly.
• 500g shrimp.
• 300g mung bean sprouts.
• 250g whole green beans.
• 1 white radish.
• 1 carrot.
• Assorted raw vegetables (lettuce, herbs, water spinach, cucumber, young coconut leaves, young mango leaves).
• Spring onions, chili, garlic, lime.
• Seasonings (salt, sugar, seasoning powder, MSG, cooking oil, fish sauce, pepper).

Steps to Make Southern Vietnamese Pancakes

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients:

• Clean the pork belly, cut into small pieces, then marinate with a pinch of salt, seasoning powder, and sugar.
• Clean the shrimp, peel and devein, marinate with a pinch of salt, and seasoning powder.
• Soak the mung beans in water for about 2 hours, then rinse and briefly boil.
• Clean and drain the assorted raw vegetables, mung bean sprouts, then set aside.
• Peel and julienne the carrots and white radish, then squeeze with a pinch of salt.

Step 2: Prepare the Pancake Batter:

In a large bowl, combine 500g of flour, 2 eggs, 100ml of coconut milk, 550ml of water, 200g of turmeric powder, a pinch of salt, and cooking oil. Stir well to create a batter that is neither too thin nor too thick.

Step 3: Sauté the Filling:

Heat oil in a pan and stir-fry the meat and shrimp until cooked. When the shrimp and meat are cooked, add the mung bean sprouts and season to enhance the flavor.

Step 4: Pour the Pancake Batter:

• Heat a large pan and brush it with a thin layer of oil.
• Pour a layer of batter onto the pan and spread it evenly.
• Wait for about 1 minute then add the filling in the center of the pancake.
• Cover the pan and cook for about 3 - 5 minutes until the pancake is cooked, then fold it in half.

Step 5: Prepare the Dipping Sauce:

Mix 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of water, and 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Then add sugar, minced garlic, and chopped chili to the fish sauce mixture and stir well. To enhance the flavor, you can also add grated carrots and julienned white radish to the dipping sauce.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy:

Southern-style pancakes have a golden crust, served with various fresh vegetables creating an indescribably delicious flavor.

Here's the simple yet authentic way to make pancakes from all three regions that Mytour wants to share with you. As you can see, making this type of dish is not difficult at all; the key is to choose fresh ingredients to enhance the aroma and quality of the dish. If you're a fan of cooking, don't forget to accompany Mytour every day to update many useful tips and recipes.