Country of Origin: Vietnam
Ingredients for batter
255g of rice flour
85g of all purpose flour
2-3 tsp turmeric
28 fl oz water
14 fl oz coconut cream or milk
1 tsp salt
1 batch of green onions
fillings
Shrimp
Bean sprout
Mint
Cilantro
Vietnamese perilla
Sitting on the kitchen’s floor, I was separating the perilla and mint leaves from the stems. Every weekend, I would always have to help my mom prepare for cooking. Out of all the dishes my mom would make, this particular dish always stood out to me.
I’d always be happy to help my mom because she’d always make the food that I asked for. Growing up, I was always a bit underweight so my mom would always make sure that I was never hungry. This always made me feel happy, and I’d always know that someone would care for me.
First, my mom mixed rice flour, all purpose flour, and turmeric in a bowl. Afterwards, my mom would let me mix in the water and coconut milk. When I was little, I loved mixing the water and milk with the flour mix. The batter should be more like a liquid, rather than thick. After making the batter, my mom would chop green onions to add into the batter, as my mom would never trust me with a knife.
After leaving the batter out for a while, my mom would toss shrimp onto a non-stick pan. I was always picky with my food, limiting the amount of vegetables I ate. Once it was cooked, it was time to add the batter into the pan. I always loved the sounds it made, the sizzles and pops from the batter. My mom would always cook it on high heat, as she knew I liked mine crispy.
As I ate at the table, my mom would make more for the rest of my family which filled the air with a sweet smell. This dish reminds me of the love from my mom as she raised me. I hope to pass this recipe down to generations and hope they can connect with this recipe as well.