Description
Shrimp and Sweet Potato Fritters (Bánh Tôm) are a crispy and flavorful Vietnamese appetizer featuring julienned sweet potatoes coated in a light batter, topped with succulent shrimp, and fried to golden perfection. Served with fresh herbs and a tangy fish sauce dipping sauce, these fritters offer a delightful balance of textures and flavors inspired by traditional Vietnamese street food.
Ingredients
Scale
Fritters
- 1/2 lb raw shrimp (peeled, deveined, tails on)
- 1 large orange sweet potato (peeled and julienned)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 1/4 cups cold water
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
Dipping Sauce (Nước Chấm)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup lime juice or vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1 Thai chili (sliced, optional)
For Serving
- Fresh lettuce
- Mint
- Cilantro
- Thai basil
- Pickled carrots and daikon (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, rice flour, baking powder, turmeric powder, salt, and white pepper. Gradually whisk in the cold water until you achieve a smooth, thick batter consistency. Fold in the julienned sweet potato until evenly coated with the batter.
- Heat the oil: Pour about 1 inch of vegetable oil into a skillet or wok and heat over medium-high heat until hot enough for frying but not smoking.
- Fry the fritters: For each fritter, spoon a small mound of the sweet potato batter with coated sweet potato into the hot oil. Press a shrimp on top of the batter to secure it. Fry the fritters in batches for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until they turn golden brown and crispy.
- Drain excess oil: Remove the fried fritters from the oil and drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Make the dipping sauce: In a bowl, stir together the fish sauce, sugar, lime juice (or vinegar), and water until the sugar dissolves. Add the minced garlic and sliced Thai chili for an optional spicy kick. Mix well.
- Serve: Arrange the fritters on a serving plate with fresh lettuce, mint, cilantro, Thai basil, and optional pickled carrots and daikon. Serve alongside the dipping sauce for guests to enjoy by wrapping fritters in lettuce with herbs and dipping into the sauce.
Notes
- Keep the batter cold for crispier fritters.
- You can use pre-shredded sweet potato to save preparation time.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the shrimp and substitute with sliced mushrooms or firm tofu.
- Maintain medium-high heat while frying to ensure the fritters cook evenly without absorbing too much oil.
