Vietnamese Savory Prawn Coconut Pancakes Bánh Khọt

My Vietnamese savory prawn coconut pancakes (bánh khọt) are crispy on the outside while rich and creamy in the center. Enjoy them with fresh herbs and dipping sauce for the perfect snack.

When it comes to street food, Vietnamese savory prawn coconut pancakes (bánh khọt) are hands down my favorite along with gỏi cuốn and bánh xèo. Bánh khọt is a specialty of Vũng Tàu and a sister version of  bánh xèo. It’s made with a batter of rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, coconut milk, and scallion, then topped with prawns and mung bean. They’re like mini pancakes that are crispy on the outside while rich and creamy in the center. 

Ingredient notes

• Rice flour: for this recipe, make sure you get rice flour and not glutinous flour. It’s an inexpensive regular shelf item at the Asian grocery stores.
• Corn starch: with the addition of cornstarch, the texture of the pancakes will be more crispy.
• Turmeric: turmeric gives the pancakes their brilliant yellow color. A little bit goes a long way. Adding too much will lend a bitter taste once cooked.
• Yellow split mung bean: you need to soak these the night before or for 6 hours to soften them before steaming.
• Coconut cream: coconut cream adds richness to the batter.
• Prawn: I like to use size 41/50 which means there are 41 to 50 prawns per pound. When you use bigger prawns make sure to halve them so they cook faster.

What type of pan to use for making bánh khọt

For making these Vietnamese savory prawn coconut pancakes, you can use a cast iron bánh khọt pan, an aebleskiver pan, or a takoyaki pan.

Tips for making bánh khọt

• Let the batter rest for an hour after you mix it. Give the batter a quick stir to redistribute the flour that had settled at the bottom.
• The batter can be made 2 days ahead, covered, and stored in the fridge. Bring the batter to room temperature before you cook it.
• Use prawns size 41/50 or smaller so they fit in the pan.
• Medium-high heat is the best level for making it crispy without burning it.
• Each pancake will need about 4-5 minutes to cook through.
• These Vietnamese savory prawn coconut pancakes are best eaten as they are made. If you need to keep them warm and crisp while finishing the whole batch, leave them on a baking sheet in the oven at 225 degrees F until ready to serve.

What to serve bánh khọt with

Vietnamese mini savory prawn coconut pancakes are traditionally served with a dipping sauce and fresh herbs like young green mustard (cải bẹ xanh), lettuce, Vietnamese mint (rau răm), Thai basil (húng quế ), peppermint (húng cay), and Vietnamese perilla (tiá tô).

I love wrapping each pancake with lettuce and fresh herbs and dunking them in the dipping sauce. With every bite you get a bit of the rich and creamy pancake, meaty prawn, and medley of herbs. Eating these Vietnamese savory prawn coconut pancakes takes me back to my childhood memories of our family vacation in Vũng Tàu.

For more street food inspiration, check these recipes:

• Vietnamese crepes
• Vietnamese prawn and sweet potato fritters
• Vietnamese beef wrapped in betel leaves
• Vietnamese steamed rice cakes