Thuy Diem Pham’s recipe for happiness pancakes

DHere’s something warm and confident about the feeling a dish gives you. Delicious cake “Happiness” or “joy” means cake. This crispy, delicious pancake originates from Hue, the historic capital of Vietnam’s central region. Traditionally served with a rich hoisin dipping sauce, I make it lighter Sauce With sesame seeds. It stays true to the original, though, preserving its delightful texture and bold, satisfying flavors, and using more accessible ingredients.

Happy pancake

It’s great without the shrimp: swap them for smoked or marinated tofu, and dip them with sweet soy sauce. Purple perilla (also known as shisho leaves) is available at most Asian food stores.

Product 10 min
Cook 25 min
serves 4

8 tbsp vegetable oil
4 eggshit
280 grams Cooked and peeled king prawns (jumbo shrimp), or ready-cooked shrimp
4 small onionstrimmed and finely shredded
200 grams For him
4 teaspoons of crispy fried onionsto decorate

to the vada
100 grams Rice flour
25 grams empty flour
½ tsp salt
1 teaspoon of sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
300 ml Coconut cream (No coconut milk)

For the sesame gravy rice
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
400 ml Sauce (Vietnamese Fish Sauce)

For the salad
½ fresh pineapplestripped and claimed
1 star fruitor green (unripe) mangoes
2 baby spinach, Separated leaves
80 grams Pea shoots
120 grams Rocket
25 grams Mother basil
25 grams Purple bubble

In a large bowl, whisk all flour ingredients until smooth. In a small bowl, stir the sesame seeds into the nước chấm and set aside.

Heat a 20cm cast iron frying pan or nonstick frying pan over a medium heat, add two tablespoons of oil and when it’s hot, pour in about 75ml (five tablespoons) of batter to coat the base evenly. Drizzle a tablespoon of beaten egg over the top, then sprinkle over some prawns, onion and beansprouts (if you want to soften, otherwise save for salad), then cook for a couple of minutes, until the base is crisp and golden.

Fold the pancake in half to cover the filling and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil, batter and filling to make four pancakes.

Slice the pineapple and star fruit or mango and arrange them and the rest of the salad ingredients on a plate in the center of the table. Garnish with crispy fried onions.

To eat, wrap pancake slices in spinach with herbs and fruits, dip in sesame seeds and enjoy every delightful bite.

• This recipe is an edited extract from One Pan Vietnam by Thuy Diem Bam, published in Quadrille for £22.