Khmer Banh Chao - Savory Egg Crepes
I woke up to the smell of eggs.
Three years ago, I traveled to Cambodia to volunteer and teach English for a month. After finishing my teaching, I traveled to a riverside town called Kampot, at the southern part of Cambodia. There, I stayed in a riverside hostel and was introduced to Banh Chao.
I walked over and could smell the delicious ground pork and the pungent fish sauce, and hear the pounding of the garlic in the mortal and pestle. I watched as the ladies made Banh Chao.
Banh Chao is a traditional Khmer Cambodian savory “crepe.” Generally made with a special flour mixture with egg and turmeric, it is filled with ground pork, bean sprouts, onions, and a good dash of chili.
This following version is my adaptation of the Banh Chao I had with the ingredients that are local to the Bay Area. And of course, using Sosu’s very own Barrel-Aged Sriracha and Srirachup sauce to add the Southeast Asian flavor. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
For the shrimp marinade:
5 Cloves of Garlic
2 tbsp of Lime Juice
2 tbsp of Fish Sauce
2 tbsp Barrel-Aged Sriracha
½ lb of Tiger shrimp
For the Pork Filling:
5 tbsp Srirachup
1 lb of Ground Pork
Dash of Sea Salt
½ of a White Onion
½ lb of bean sprouts
For the Crepe:
4 Eggs
For the garnish:
Mint
Thai Basil
Green Lettuce
For the Sauces:
Barrel-Aged Sriracha
Srirachup
Barrel-Aged Hot Sauce
Step 1: Prep and cook the fillings
Peel the shrimp and cut them into small ½ inch cubes. Mix the shrimp with the rest of the sauces and seasonings, and marinade over night.
Slice the onions so they are thin slices. Wash the bean sprouts. Mash up the cloves of garlic. In a pan, heat up the olive oil and garlic and let it brown for a little. Then add the ground pork, breaking apart bits of the ground pork. Add salt. Add Srirachup and the rest of the ingredients, onions and bean sprouts. Cook for about 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for another 2 minutes. The filling is ready.
Step 2: Create the egg crepe
Beat up the eggs in the bowl. In a non-stick pan, heat up olive oil. Place a portion of the egg in the pan and let it cover the whole pan, forming a small thin layer. Add the fillings and close the crepe. After 1 minute, remove from pan.
Step 3: Combining it together and eating
Once the crepe is done, put it on a plate and cut into small pieces. Using green lettuce as a base, add “crepe” and add a dallop of sauce – depending on spiciness, you can choose Barrel-Aged SRiracha, Srirachup, or Barrel-Aged Hot Sauce. Add greens such as thai basil and mint on top. Fold over like a taco, eat and enjoy!