Vietnamese Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Bánh Khọt (Mini Savory Pancakes)
Bite-sized savory pancakes made with rice flour and coconut milk, topped with shrimp.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Crispy
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes
Instructions
6 steps- 1
Prepare Batter: Whisk together the rice flour, coconut milk, water, turmeric, and a pinch of salt. Stir in half of the sliced scallions. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
- 2
Prepare Toppings: Sauté the remaining scallions in a little oil to make scallion oil. Have the steamed mung beans and raw shrimp ready by the stove.
- 3
Heat the Pan: Use a cast-iron Bánh Khọt pan (similar to an aebleskiver pan). Heat over medium-high. Add a generous drizzle of oil into each indentation until shimmering.
- 4
Pour Batter: Pour the batter into each mold until about 2/3 full. The oil should sizzle and fry the edges immediately.
- 5
Add Fillings: Drop a small pinch of steamed mung beans and one shrimp into the center of each pancake. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 2-3 minutes until the shrimp is pink.
- 6
Crisp and Serve: Remove the lid and cook for another 2 minutes to ensure the bottom is ultra-crispy and golden brown. Remove carefully with a spoon. Serve hot, wrapped in lettuce and mustard greens, dipped in Nước Chấm.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
70/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving1025
Calories
75 g
Protein
115 g
Carbs
31 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Bánh khọt is closely associated with southern Vietnam, especially coastal cooking where small shrimp are a natural topping. The dish is built around contrast: a thin rice-flour batter fries crisp in hot oil while the center stays tender, then each pancake is wrapped in fresh greens and dipped in nước chấm.
Listahan note
This version keeps the batch compact and focuses on the parts that make bánh khọt feel right at home: rested batter, hot oiled wells, soft mung beans, and a final uncovered crisping step.
Technique cues
- The batter needs its rest so the rice flour hydrates evenly; without that pause, the centers can taste chalky while the edges brown too quickly.
- Use more oil than you would for a regular pancake. Bánh khọt gets its lacy rim from shallow frying in each mold, not from a dry pan.
- Serve the pancakes straight from the pan. The lettuce, mint, mustard greens, and nước chấm are not garnish; they balance the hot, rich, crisp bites.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Steam the mung beans and wash the greens while the batter rests; keep the shrimp and toppings beside the stove before the pan gets hot.
- Make-ahead
- Make the batter a few hours ahead and refrigerate it, then whisk again before cooking because rice flour settles heavily.
- Leftover move
- Tuck extra pancakes into lettuce with more herbs and nước chấm, or chop them over rice with scallion oil for a quick bowl.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Wipe spilled batter from the pan between rounds and soak the spoon, lid, and batter bowl while the last pancakes are still being eaten.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Rice flour
Structure base
Purpose: Rice flour gives the pancakes their clean snap at the edges and tender middle.
Handling: Whisk it thoroughly with the coconut milk and water, then let the batter sit for 30 minutes before cooking.
Adaptation: A prepared bánh khọt or bánh xèo flour mix can work, but check whether it already contains turmeric or seasoning before adding more.
Coconut milk
Richness and aroma
Purpose: Coconut milk rounds out the rice batter and helps the pancakes brown with a faintly sweet, savory edge.
Handling: Shake or stir it before measuring so the thicker cream and thinner liquid are evenly combined.
Adaptation: Use a little more water and a splash of neutral oil for a lighter batter, though the aroma will be less full.
Turmeric powder
Color and earthy note
Purpose: Turmeric gives bánh khọt its warm yellow color without needing a heavy seasoning mix.
Handling: Whisk it into the dry rice flour first if it tends to clump in your kitchen.
Adaptation: Leave it out if needed; the pancakes will be paler but the cooking method still works.
Small shrimp, peeled and deveined
Main topping
Purpose: Small shrimp fit neatly into each mold and cook in the same short window as the batter.
Handling: Pat them dry before setting them by the stove so they steam cleanly instead of watering down the centers.
Adaptation: Halved larger shrimp work if they sit flat in the wells; chopped cooked shrimp should be added near the end so it does not toughen.
Dried mung beans, steamed until soft
Creamy filling
Purpose: Soft mung beans add a gentle, nutty layer between the crisp shell and the shrimp.
Handling: Steam until they press easily between your fingers, then use only a small pinch per pancake.
Adaptation: Skip them for a simpler batch, or use a small spoonful of cooked split mung beans if that is what you have.
Lettuce, mint, mustard greens for wrapping
Fresh serving wrapper
Purpose: The greens cool the fried edges and give each bite the crisp, herbal, dipped rhythm the dish expects.
Handling: Wash and dry them before cooking so the pancakes can be eaten while hot.
Adaptation: Romaine leaves, cilantro, Thai basil, or perilla can fill in depending on what is available.
Technique notes
- Preheat the pan patiently before adding batter. If the oil does not sizzle right away, the pancakes will absorb oil before they crisp.
- Fill each mold only about two-thirds full. Overfilling makes the centers thick and keeps the shrimp from sitting neatly on top.
- After the covered cook, uncover and give the bottoms time to firm up. They should release with a spoon because they are crisp, not because they were forced loose.
Ingredient swaps
- Pan backup
- Use an aebleskiver pan if you do not have a bánh khọt pan; keep the batter shallow so the pancakes stay crisp instead of turning bready.
- Shrimp size path
- Choose the smallest shrimp you can find, or cut larger shrimp lengthwise so one piece fits in each well.
- Mung bean shortcut
- Cook the mung beans ahead and refrigerate them, then bring them near room temperature before topping the batter so they heat through quickly.
- Herb direction
- Mint keeps the wrap bright, while Thai basil or perilla gives a stronger herbal edge if you want a more aromatic plate.
Serve alongside
- Đồ chua pickled carrot and daikon
- Green papaya salad
- Vietnamese cucumber herb salad
- Garlic morning glory
- Iced jasmine tea
- Lime soda with salted plum
- Cold sugarcane juice
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate cooked pancakes in a sealed container after they cool, keeping greens and nước chấm separate.
- Reheat in a lightly oiled skillet or air fryer until the bottoms crisp again; microwaving makes the shells soft.
- Freeze cooked pancakes only if needed, then thaw in the refrigerator and re-crisp in a hot pan with a thin film of oil.
Equipment
- Cast-iron bánh khọt pan or aebleskiver pan
- Lid that covers the pan
- Small ladle or spouted measuring cup
- Thin spoon for lifting pancakes
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