Lemongrass and Vegetable Fritter Bánh Mì
The stars of this Vietnamese Banh Mi recipe are the lemongrass, courgette, carrot and okra veggie fritters, which are fried until golden and packed into the sandwich alongside punchy kimchi and plenty of fresh herbs.
Introduction
This is a great weekend lunch (especially when served with homemade chips/French fries, page 164 of Quick & Easy Vietnamese). It is delightful way to eat more plants as it can be filled with any herbs and vegetables, such as lettuce, gherkins, mint, tomato, cucumber and coriander. Crusty white rolls serve as a great alternative to Vietnamese baguettes. Alternatively, make small fritter balls to have as a starter or snack or use them to fill Bao Buns (page 204 of Quick & Easy Vietnamese). If you don’t want to make six sandwiches, you can store the vegetable batter mixture in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Any leftover cooked fritters can be reheated in a very hot oven for 5 minutes.
Ingredients
| For the sauce: | |
|---|---|
| 1-2 tsp | English or Dijon mustard, according to taste |
| 1 tbsp | ginger preserve, marmalade or apricot jam |
| 1 ½ tbsp | Yondu vegetable umami sauce or premium fish sauce |
| 1 tbsp | lime juice |
| 1 | bird's eye chilli, finely chopped |
| 1 | onion, very finely diced |
| For the vegetable mix: | |
| 2 | small round shallots, sliced |
| 4 | garlic cloves, grated |
| 20 g (¾ oz) | lemongrass, finely chopped |
| 80 g (2¾ oz) | carrot, julienned |
| 130 g (4½ oz) | courgette (zucchini), julienned |
| 50 g (1 ¾ oz) | okra, thinly sliced |
| 1 | spring onion, sliced lengthways |
| 2 tbsp | nutritional yeast |
| 1 tbsp | premium fish sauce or 1 teaspoon fermented tofu, mashed |
| For the batter: | |
| 70g (2½ oz/generous ⅓ cup) | rice flour |
| ½ tsp | baking powder |
| 70g (2½oz/generous ¼ cup) | coconut or plain yoghurt |
| 4 tbsp | water |
| ¼ tsp | sea salt |
| To serve: | |
| 6 | Vietnamese baguettes or crusty bread rolls |
| neutral oil, for deep-frying | |
| 6 | Laughing Cow cheese triangles (or mayonnaise or butter) (optional) |
| fillings of choice | |
| 6 tbsp | kimchi (shop-bought or homemade, page 207 of Quick & Easy Vietnamese) or sliced gherkins |
| mint and coriander sprigs |
Method
First, mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl, then set aside.
Put all of the ingredients for the vegetable mix into a bowl and toss together, then set aside.
Whisk together all the ingredients for the batter in a large bowl until thick and smooth.
Pour 4 cm (1½ inches) oil into a wok or large frying pan and bring up to 180°C (350°F).
Combine the vegetable mix with the batter and divide into six portions. Scoop a portion onto a large kitchen spoon or slotted spoon and squash it to form a round burger shape with the back of a tablespoon. Slide it into the oil and fry for 6 minutes, two at a time, flipping every couple of minutes, until golden on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining vegetable and batter mixture.
Split and grill or toast the baguettes or rolls. Spread with the cheese, then layers of fillings, such as a lettuce leaf, tomato and cucumber slices, then a vegetable fritter. Spread some of the sauce over it, then cover with kimchi or gherkin slices and add mint and coriander on top. Serve immediately for ultimate freshness.
If serving later, cool the fritters to room temperature.
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