Banh Tom - Vietnamese Sweet Potato Fritters

These incredibly delicious appetizers are the perfect blend of crispy, sweet, and savory all in one delectable bite.

Recipe by: Takes Two Eggs

Ingredients

Batter

• 2 large eggs

• 1 1/2 cups (230 g) All-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup (62 g) rice flour

• 1/2 teaspoon (4 g) salt

• 1 teaspoon (3 g) turmeric powder

• 2 cups (475ml) sparkling water, club soda

• 1/2 cup (65 g) corn starch

Sweet Potato

• 2 lb sweet potato, cut into thin matchsticks, about 3-4 inches long and 1/4 inch thick

Shrimp

• 1 lb shrimp, shell intact

• 1 shallot, minced

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon (5 g) chicken powder

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

---

Directions

Batter

1. Whisk the eggs. In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and whisk for 2-3 minutes until pale yellow and frothy.

2. Sift in flour.Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the all-purpose flour, rice flour, salt, and turmeric powder over the whisked eggs. Whisked until combined.

3. Add club soda and cornstarch.Next add the club soda and whisk until combined. Lastly, add the corn starch and whisk until combined.

4. Sift the batter.Sift the batter through a fine mesh sieve over a large mixing bowl to remove any remaining clumps. The batter will be thin. Cover and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Prep the Sweet Potato and Shrimp

1. Prep the sweet potato. In a large mixing bowl, mix together water and salt. Peel and chop the sweet potato into thin matchsticks, about 3-4 inches long and 1/4 inch thick (similar to thin French fries) and then add the matchsticks to the salt water to prevent from browning. Soak the sweet potato for at least 15 minutes before rinsing and pat dry.

2. Mix in the batter.After the batter has rested, add the batter to the sweet potatoes and mix to coat.

3. Prep the shrimp.Remove the shrimp legs and rinse with water. Pat dry to remove any excess water In a medium mixing bowl mix the shrimp with the minced shallot, garlic, chicken powder and pepper to marinate the shrimp.

Double Fry the Banh Tom

1. Heat a medium skillet and a medium pot of oil.Add 1/4 inch of oil to a medium skillet and about 2 inches of oil to the medium pot. Heat each of them to around 300 F.

2. Prepare the fritter.Stir the mixture to re-coat the batter. Take a large slotted spoon and scoop out a handful of sweet potatoes. Shape it to a fritter shape. Dip the shrimp in the batter and place it on top of the sweet potatoes.

3. First Fry.Once the oil is at 300 F, gently slide the fritter into the medium skillet and fry until the fritter takes shape about 3 minutes.

4. Double fry.After the fritter has taken shape, transfer the fritter to the deeper pot of oil and continue frying for an additional 3-4 minutes, flipping to cook the shrimp. It is done when the shrimp is pink and the sweet potatoes are golden brown.

5. Cool.Place them on a paper towel lined wire rack to cool. Repeat until all the shrimp is cooked.

6. Serve.Serve with lettuce, mint and Vietnamese dipping sauce (nuoc cham).

• Health Benefits

  Sweet potatoes are a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A and is a low glycemic index food. Find out more on our Nutritional Facts page.

• What's the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?

  Sweet potatoes have a much thinner skin than a yam and tastes delicious when cooked. Yams have a thick bark like skin that needs to be cut away before cooking. Learn more about their differences on our Sweet Potatoes VS Yams page.