A 120-Yen Helper ~ Vietnamese-Style Chijimi Made with Bánh Xèo Flour ~

Bánh xèo, a Vietnamese classic. When you go to a supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City, packages of yellow "bánh xèo flour" are lined up on the shelves as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The price is around 20,000 dong. In Japanese yen, that would be about 120 yen, I suppose. When I first saw it, I thought, "What on earth is this?", but once I tried using it, it turned out to be truly convenient. Rice flour, wheat flour, cornstarch, coconut powder, turmeric, and more are already blended in, and you can complete the batter just by adding water. It's something like the okonomiyaki flour mix we have in Japan. Put the powder in a bowl, add water, and mix. After that, just chop up whatever ingredients you have in the fridge, add them in, and cook. Seasoning is also almost unnecessary. The flour brings everything together nicely, so there are few failures, and it's a real lifesaver on those days when you think, "I don't feel like cooking anything today." The other day, too, on an afternoon when I was feeling a little peckish, I took a peek inside the fridge. What was left was some pork, kimchi, green onion, and bean sprouts. With a proper banh xeo you'd add shrimp and pork and fry it thin, but that day I just tossed in whatever ingredients came to mind and put them in the frying pan. Looking at what I'd made, I couldn't help but think, "This is more of a chijimi than a banh xeo, isn't it. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. Thanks to the rice flour, it has a light texture yet still feels satisfying. What's fun is how, with every bite, a faint, sweet aroma of coconut wafts up through your nose. Back when I was in Japan, whenever I set out to make chijimi, I'd be measuring out wheat flour and potato starch. But here, you just open the flour and add water. So much more relaxed. Living in Vietnam, I often come across this kind of "not cutting corners, but skillful shortcutting." The auntie at the market throwing in some extra green onions for free, You can grab a quick meal at a street stall. Little bits of wisdom that make life just a little bit easier are scattered here and there. Bánh xèo flour is one of them. Today, though, it's not bánh xèo, but a Vietnamese-style chijimi pancake.

It's our household's reliable pantry staple that deliciously uses up the leftovers in the fridge. ※ The recipe is summarized in the illustration.

＊Since you just mix the ingredients and bake, please feel free to give it a try. Migration Life Ranking