Simplest Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake – West Lake Shrimp Cake

Hanoi West Lake Shrimp Cake (Bánh Tôm Hồ Tây) is a dish that reflects the soul of Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital city. Crafted from a mixture of shrimp and batter, the dish combines the crispiness of the fried cake and the natural sweetness of shrimp. Thanks to its popularity, it is nowadays so-called Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake by international tourists. Here’s a simplest recipe of Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake with only 3 main ingredients: flour, cornstarch and shrimp.

What is Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake?

The origins of West Lake Shrimp Cakes, can be traced back to the 1930s. During that time, small street vendors began to gather along the Thanh Nien Street, which gracefully separates the tranquil waters of West Lake (Tây Hồ) and Trúc Bạch Lake. Using fresh shrimp of the West Lake and a special making process, the cake became popular among Hanoians, then Vietnamese.

What sets Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake apart from other shrimp cakes is its unique preparation. Instead of grinding the shrimp into a paste, shrimp is typically left whole, generously placed atop the crispy cakes.

Like many other dishes of Vietnamese cuisine, a serving of Bánh Tôm Hồ Tây is an enticing assembly of flavors and textures. Traditionally, it is accompanied by fresh lettuce leaves, offering the perfect vehicle for wrapping the shrimp cakes. Additionally, fish sauce is provided for dipping, allowing diners to customize their dining experience.

Ingredients

Here are the simple list of ingredients for the dish. All the ingredients are likely to appear in your kitchen regugarly:

• Shrimp: To achieve the perfect texture and flavor, fresh, locally sourced shrimp, often from West Lake, are preferred for the dish. However, of course, we couldn’t afford West Lake Shrimp except once you live in Hanoi. Therefore, just use fresh or frozen shrimp bought in the supermarket. These shrimps are unpeeled when frying to add more crispy texture from their shells.

• All-Purpose Flour and Cornstarch: The crispy, golden exterior of West Lake Shrimp Cake is a result of the batter mix. Made from a blend of all-purpose flour and cornstarch, the mix strikes a balance, ensuring the coating is light and crispy.
• Seasonings: Simple yet effective, a touch of salt and pepper is added to the batter. Besides, curcumin powder is the factor for an eye-catching yellow cake, so don’t forget to add some.
• Oil: The choice of frying oil is crucial for achieving the desired results. Peanut or canola oil, with their high smoke points, are commonly used. Coconut oil is another great option as the oil having highest smoke point among vegetable oils. Properly heated oil ensures that the shrimp cakes cook evenly and attain the perfect golden-brown.

How to make Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake

Shrimp Preparation

Firstly, do preparing the shrimps. If you use fresh shrimp, you will need to clean and devein it. Keep it simple: just rinse the shrimp under cold water to remove any dirt or impuritie. Make a shallow incision along the back of each shrimp to remove the vein with a knife or your fingers. In case you are having frozen shrimp, it’s much easier. I have a tip to defrost them quickly: soak them in water and change the water 2-3 times. It would take 5-10 minutes for the shrimp to be totally thawed.

Season the shrimps with sliced shallots, salt and pepper. Rest them while you mix the batter.

Making Batter

Combine all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a mixing bowl to form the base of the batter. Overall, the proportion of each ingredient are usually 6 all-purpose flour : 1 cornstarch. In addition, add 1/3 tsp of baking soda or 1 tsp of baking powder.

• Season the batter with a dash of salt, pepper and curcumin powder.
• Gradually add water to the mixture with the ratio of 3 water: 2 flour. Stir continuously until you achieve a smooth, thick batter. The consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Assembly

Finally, gently fold the prepared shrimp into the batter, ensuring that they are evenly coated.

Frying:

Everything will be easy with basic cooking technique. Note that you should only add a spoon of batter while the oil is already hot, so that the shape of a cake can form immediately. Then, keep an eye on the frying pan not to let it overcooked. Follow these steps:

• Heat a generous amount of oil in a deep frying pan or wok until it reaches the ideal frying temperature. A test drop of batter should sizzle and rise to the surface immediately.
• Carefully spoon portions of the shrimp and batter mixture into the hot oil. Ensure that they are evenly spaced and not overcrowded, allowing them to cook to a perfect golden-brown hue.
• Fry until the shrimp cakes are crispy on the outside and the shrimp within are cooked.

Accompaniments with Shrimp Cake

To enhance the dining experience, serve the shrimp cakes with fresh lettuce leaves. This offers a refreshing contrast to the crispy texture. You can wrap the cakes in the lettuce or eat along.

The condiments are equally important. Try dipping the shrimp cakes in a dipping sauce from fish sauce or chilli sauce. This is the recipe for dipping fish sauce: combine 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice, a 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp still water, minced garlic, and finely chopped chili. It’s quite similar to dipping sauce recipe for Vietnamese pancake, and you can adjust the proportions according to your taste preferences.

Variations of Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake

There is also another version of Vietnamese Fried shrimp which incorporates crispy sweet potato sticks. These thinly sliced and deep-fried batter with grated sweet potato add a pleasant sweetness and an extra layer of crunch to the traditional shrimp cakes.

To make this, it is not so hard. You will spend a bit more time to grate sweet potato, as small as gated carrot, and add to the batter. Then, fry each spoon of batter like frying process of the simple version I shared above.

Simplest Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake - West Lake Shrimp Cake

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Here's a simplest recipe of Vietnamese Fried Shrimp Cake with only 3 main ingredients: flour, cornstarch and shrimp.

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Ingredients

Batter

• 130g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
• 20g (2 3/4 tbsp) corn starch
• 230ml (1 cup) water

Seasoning for the batter

• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp pepper
• 1/3 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda or nearly 1 tsp baking powder

Shrimp

• 300g (10 oz) shrimp
• 4-5 slices of shallots
• A pinch of salt and pepper

Instructions

Step 1. Shrimp Preparation:

• Firstly, do preparing the shrimps. If you use fresh shrimp, you will need to clean and devein it. Just rinse the shrimp under cold water to remove any dirt or impuritie. Make a shallow incision along the back of each shrimp to remove the vein with a knife or your fingers.
• In case you are having frozen shrimp, defrost them by soaking them in water and change the water 2-3 times. It would take 5-10 minutes for the shrimp to be totally thawed.

• Season the shrimps with sliced shallots, a pinch salt and pepper. Rest them while you mix the batter.

Step 2. Making Batter

• Combine all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a mixing bowl to form the base of the batter. Season the batter with salt, pepper and curcumin powder.
• Gradually add water to the mixture. The consistency should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Finally, gently fold the prepared shrimp into the batter, ensuring that they are evenly coated.

Step 3. Frying:

• Heat a generous amount of oil in a deep frying pan or wok until it reaches the ideal frying temperature. A test drop of batter should sizzle and rise to the surface immediately.
• Carefully spoon portions of the shrimp and batter mixture into the hot oil. Ensure that they are evenly spaced and not overcrowded, allowing them to cook to a perfect golden-brown hue.

• Fry until the shrimp cakes are crispy on the outside and the shrimp within are cooked.

Notes

Accompaniments

Try dipping the shrimp cakes in a dipping sauce from fish sauce or chilli sauce. This is the recipe for dipping fish sauce: combine 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1/2 tbsp fresh lime juice, a 1 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp still water, minced garlic, and finely chopped chili.

To enhance the dining experience, serve the shrimp cakes with fresh lettuce leaves.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 5 shrimp cakes
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 515

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