Photo and recipe by Uyen Luu.
I love a good bánh mì sandwich—there’s something so satisfying about the combination of crisp vegetables, fresh herbs, and bold flavors tucked into a crusty baguette. These lemongrass and vegetable fritter sandwiches from Uyen Luu’s Quick and Easy Vietnamese take that concept to a whole new level. Packed with crispy fritters made from julienned carrots, zucchini, and okra, and paired with a tangy homemade sauce, they’re the perfect blend of crunchy, savory, and refreshing.
“This is a great weekend lunch (especially when served with homemade chips/French fries),” Luu writes. “It is a 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. 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.”
The versatility of this recipe is one of its best features. Whether you’re prepping a vibrant sandwich for lunch or rolling the batter into bite-sized fritter balls for a quick appetizer, these golden, flavorful fritters are guaranteed to please. They’re also a great make-ahead option, so you can enjoy fresh, homemade bánh mì-style sandwiches all weekend long.
If you’re as excited about this recipe as I am, you’ll love the rest of Uyen Luu’s cookbook. Quick and Easy Vietnamese is full of simple, approachable recipes that bring the bold, vibrant flavors of Vietnam into your kitchen. Ready to add it to your collection? Pick up your copy today and start cooking!
Lemongrass and Vegetable Fritter / Bánh Mì Rau Củ Chiên Ướp Sả
Ingredients
- 1-2 teaspoons English or Dijon mustard, according to taste
- 1 tablespoon ginger preserve, marmalade or apricot jam
- 11/2 tablespoons Yondu vegetable umami sauce or premium fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped
- 1 onion, very finely diced
- 2 small round shallots, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 20 g (3/4 oz) lemongrass, finely chopped
- 80 g (2 3/4 oz) carrot, julienned
- 130 g 41/2 oz courgetti (zucchini), julienned
- 50 g (1 3/4 oz) okra, thinly sliced
- 1 spring onion, sliced lengthways
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon premium fish sauce or 1 teaspoon fermented tofu, mashed
- 70 g (2 1/2 oz) /generous 1/3 cup rice flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 70 g (2 1/2 oz) /generous 1/4 cup coconut or plain yoghurt
- 4 tablespoons water
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 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 tablespoons kimchi, shop-bought or homemade or sliced gherkins mint and corianser sprigs
Instructions
- 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.
Excerpted with permission from Quick and Easy Vietnamese: Everyday Vietnamese Recipes for the Home Cook by: Uyen Luu published by Hardie Grant Books, August 2024, RRP $35.00 Hardcover.