Hanoi Shrimp Cakes-banh tom

I love these Hanoi Shrimp Cakes or also known as banh tom in Vietnam. These sweet and savory shrimp cakes are great for a weekend brunch or as an appetizer. The sweet potatoes and shrimps were coated with a light batter and then deep-fried until crispy and golden brown in color. Then, just wrap the shrimp cakes with greens and herbs, and dip into Vietnamese sauce before you savor them. Yum!



By the way, I am contributing this lovely recipe for the Delicious Vietnam. It’s a monthly blogging event to celebrate Vietnamese cuisine created by Anh of A Food Lover's Journey and Ravenous Couple by Hong and Kim. If you are into Vietnamese food, then do check out their blogs. They have many interesting and tantalizing Vietnamese recipes. Well, I would like to thank Hong and Kim for inviting me to participate in this Delicious Vietnam event.


Recipe adapted from Pleasures Of The Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham

Hanoi Shrimp Cakes-banh tom
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

70 g (1/2 Cup) All-Purpose Flour
40 g (1/3 Cup) Rice Flour
½ tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Sugar
½ tsp Sea Salt
½ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Stalk Scallions (Green Onions), cut into thin rings
250 ml (1 Cup) Water
300 g Sweet Potatoes, peeled, shredded or cut into matchstick strips
250 g Prawns, peeled, deveined and cut into ½ inch pieces
Vegetable Oil for frying
Table Salad (Green or Red leaves lettuce, carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts, basil, and mint leaves)
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

Method

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, sea salt, pepper, scallions and water in a large bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Then fold in the sweet potatoes and shrimp and mix until just combine. Do not over mix.

Heat the oil over medium to high heat (about 330˚F) and place 2 heaping Tbsp of the shrimp mixture in the middle of a flat metal spatula. Push the batter down to form a loose, irregular cake about ¼ inch thick. Then gently push the cake into the hot oil.

Fry the shrimp cakes for about 2 to 3 minutes and turning over once, until they are evenly brown and cooked. Remove the shrimp cakes with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining mixture, cooking only 3 to 4 cakes at a time. Keep the cakes warm in a preheated low oven until ready to serve.

To serve, place a piece of the shrimp cake and some herbs on a lettuce leaf and fold into packet, dip into the sauce and eat.

Makes 20 Cakes