Vietnamese Savory Wrap – Banh Xeo

Today, its all about creating a kid friendly plate. Now this goes without saying that it has to be colorful and fuss free for the kids to give a green go. For the mamas, the food they serve the kids should have all the nutrition in the world and should be quick to whip up too. Off course with a diabetic kid to feed, the task becomes a bit more challenging. With this in mind, i am bringing some asian flavors which are easy to prepare, load up on nutrition and have a fun appeal to it. Presenting Veitnamese Savory Wraps – Banh Xeo.

I remember that as a kid, my mother usually wrapped the stir fried vegetables in the Indian roti flatbread for my school tiffin. As kids, we used to love that because it was like a surprise for me. I would have to munch on the wrap to discover the filling. She would also pack interesting sauces which she usually prepared from various sauce mixes and that would to make the whole wrap extra delicious. I was totally sold on that idea.. since childhood !

Savory wrap banh xeoFor this wrap though, I was not too inclined to go the usual tortilla wrap route so started thinking of other ingredient which could become the base of my wrap. Then my eyes fell on my recent purchase of a mill grinder and i got super excited to make my own flour. Just about the same time, i remembered this one dish i tried at a farmer’s market sometime last year and had adored it ! I think i got the inspiration i was looking for !!

Banh Xeo pronounced as Banh- say-oh is a Vietnamese street food crepe dish which is very popular in Vietnam.
Banh Xeo

Usually served with pork, ham and/or shrimps, these crepes are loved by everyone. I am creating a meatless version here with an overload of veggies and a tangy sweet-sour dipping sauce which the kids are bound to love 🙂

Vietnamese Savory Wrap – Banh Xeo

Vietnamese Savory Wraps- Banh Xeo

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

banh xeoIngredients

The Base Crepe
  • Rice flour – 3/4 cup
  • turmeric powder- 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Eno/ Fruit Salt/ Soda bi carb- 1/2 tsp
  • coconut milk – 1/2 cup
  • water- 1 cup
  • 1 spring onion, finely chopped
The filling (Use as many vegetables as you like here. I chose all those vegetables which require very less cooking to save time)
  • tofu- 1/2 cup, cut into chunks
  • 3-4 Romane Lettuce leaves (optional)
  • bean sprouts- 1 cup
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped coriander and mint leaves
  • 2 tsp Oil
The Dipping Sauce
  • Thai sweet chili sauce, 1 tablespoon
  • Soy Sauce, 1tablespoons
  • 2 clove of garlic, minced
  • water- 2 tablespoons
  • Sriracha- 1 tablespoon
  • Juice of half lemon

Method

steps Banh xeo

  1. Begin with making the Base crepe. For that mix all the ingredients for the crepe (Except the oil) and mix well. Let this rest for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, let us prepare the filling. For that, take a pan. In it, add in the oil and to this, add in the tofu pieces and roast till slight brown. Remove and keep aside. Now, add in all the vegetables except the sprouts and lettuce and roast on high for about 5 minutes. Shut the flame and add in the sprouts. Mix and keep aside.
  3. Mix all the ingredients for the dipping sauce and keep aside. You can also use ketchup to accompany the banh xeo’s.
Preparing the crepes
  1. To prepare the crepes, just put a ladle of the prepared batter on a skillet and cook with a lid on for about 2 minutes. Remove the lid and keep cooking on medium high till crispy on one side and slightly done on the other side. Remove and keep aside. Repeat with the left over batter. This batter will prepare 4 full size crepes and 6 medium size crepes.
  2. To assemble, place one crepe on a plate. Add some lettuce leaves on one half of the wrap. Add in the filling and roll as tightly as possible. The wrap is ready. Alternatively, u can enjoy this the crepe style by folding in half or like an open sandwich with filling as the topping.
Serving size=1 wrap. You can add a side salad of grated carrots, coriander, mint and lemon juice along with this.

I cannot believe that i had not tried this dish earlier. Pretty to look at, fresh with bounty ingredients and no complicated flavors, this dish is a fun for all age groups. I would love to just pick it up, dip it in the dipping sauce and go munching on it ! For an adult, you can make it more fun by adding spices to the filling and the dipping sauce. So, lets read the benefits now :

  • Turmeric 

Various research studies have confirmed the efficacy of turmeric in treating symptoms associated with diabetes. One remarkable property of turmeric that has been exploited for this purpose is its ability to reduce blood sugar. Therefore it is advised that diabetic patients already using medications to treat hyperglycemia should avoid turmeric supplements. Action of both the drugs can reduce blood sugar levels immensely and cause complications. Other symptoms like high fat levels, increased thirst, and frequent urination are also treatable by turmeric.

  • Bean Sprouts

Bean sprouts are low in calories. A cup of raw bean sprouts contains only 31 calories. A cup of mung bean sprouts provides 1.9 grams of dietary fiber, making them a potentially significant source of fiber. Healthy adults should consume 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories in the diet, or 28 grams of fiber per day on a 2,000-calorie diet

  • Tofu

Tofu may be especially beneficial for diabetics, because it is a complete protein that enables better regulation of sugar levels. In multiple animal studies, soy foods have been shown to lessen insulin resistance by increasing the synthesis of insulin receptors. However, this increased formation of insulin receptors only appears to occur in the presence of other dietary circumstances, like a moderate amount of polyunsaturated fat intake

  • Coriander

In parts of Europe, cilantro has traditionally been referred to as an “anti-diabetic” plant, due to its wonderful ability to help lower cholesterol and lower blood sugar levels (it packs in a whopping 521 mg of potassium per 100 grams!). Individuals suffering from diabetes have problems regulating and keeping their blood sugar stable. Consuming cilantro and keeping sodium intake to a minimum, could help eliminate this effect. Cilantro’s health benefits also go past helping lower LDL cholesterol, but can also reduce hypertension by lowering blood pressure!


So, when are you making this dish and trying it out for yourself 🙂 Find more DFT recipes from Divine Spice Box HERE

Disclaimer I am not a nutritionist or dietician. My knowledge and information is based on my research and reading from different resources. Please consult your doctor or dietician before making any changes to your diet.

I am sure you have got some ideas for a veggie loaded wrap for your kid with this dish. For more ideas, the team DFT is here with their subs, wraps and rolls to mingle and create a platter of diabetic friendly dishes to choose from :

eb9sonal image51  suchi chahatswati

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17 Comments

  1. Such a beautiful and delicious post girl! Bravo! Very well done!!

  2. Love this colorful wrap. Looking at it, I thought it was besan cheela. Great recipe, Prachi!!

  3. How cool, easy and doable is this recipe Prachi!! It is like our dosa with veggies! Something in between a masala dosa and oothappam! I love the veggies in it. Does the crepe have to be spread thin or thick? Should it be soft or crispy?

    • Suchi.. thanks ! When i made it, i did not think of the dosa but then yeah i sort of agree to that now 😛 But offcourse this is a no ferment dosa.. so i find this much more convenient and i love the use of good amounts of turmeric here… that is healthy for sure ! 🙂 The usual crepes are made semi thin and crispy on the edges but soft in the center but if u want to wrap it up, i suggest thicker base crepe

  4. Your own mill grinder? Wonderful! Is it bulky? I need to look into that too. The wrap looks lovely! It is conveniently GF and I’m so tempted to try it.

    • Apsara it is a rather small mill grinder .. makes about 1.5 cups of flour at a time but that is enough for a small family of mine.. plus i actually use it for spices mostly. Thanks for ur compliments on the wrap 🙂

  5. Wholesome and nutritious . I am also very much interested in knowing details about your own mill grinder. Is that an attachment to the stand alone mixer?

    • Thanks Parvathy. I have a Cuisinart Mill grinder and i love it . Was contemplating buying an attachement to stand mixer but it was coming out to be more expensive than a stand alone unit.

  6. Your own mill grinder, like everyone I m interested too. Wrap is really great & colourful. I was fascinated by VC now 🙂

  7. What a brilliant recipe Prachi, Brown rice , veggies this is so healthy..Beautiful pictures and perfect Diabetic friendly recipe!

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