Pizza as we all know is a flat flour dough topped with a variety of cheese, meats, and vegetables which is also known as one of the most popular food in the western world, but who would have thought that Vietnamese food could be transformed into pizza?
If you like spicy and savory tastes with a touch of crunch, you’ll enjoy this delicious and unique Vietnamese pizza.
What makes Vietnamese pizza different?
Now, if you ask any Vietnamese person how to eat/cook with rice paper (bánh tráng), you’ll probably get hundreds of answers showing you how to incorporate it into a variety of dishes, from rice paper salad, frosted shrimp rice paper, chili salted rice paper, to garlic rice paper, you name it.
Bánh tráng has many different kinds but the one that is most popular in western culture is “spring roll skin” which people use to wrap spring rolls. This type of rice paper is thick enough to withstand the heat and ultimately gives that crunchy texture when you fry/grill it. Many brands either name spring roll rice paper or spring roll skin, regardless they all have common ingredients which are rice flour, tapioca, salt & water.
Spring roll rice paper is used as a base for our Vietnamese pizza (bánh tráng nướng). It originated from Da Lat, southern Vietnam, and is one of the most famous street foods in the country. Instead of the traditional dough crust, this one uses rice paper as the base topped with eggs, onions, dry shrimp, pork floss, mayo, and sriracha. The rice paper gets really crispy and everything comes together to create that savory and spicy on each bite.
How do you make Vietnamese pizza?
This pizza traditionally is cooked on a charcoal grill, but not everyone has access to one, so we’re going to cook it in a frypan on the stove. Don’t worry, it is as delicious as on a charcoal grill.
The toppings for Vietnamese pizza are as varied as those on regular pizza. Many street food vendors will add their own toppings but there are a few common ones that you’ll find in most places which are eggs, chopped green onions, pork or beef floss, mayo, and sriracha; some people might even add dry shrimp to kick up umami flavor.
You may either eat with the rice paper folded or flat. Most of the vendors will fold the rice paper to keep the toppings intact, and I find that is tastier because you can feel the crispiness on each bite from both sides.
Rice paper is curled up when in contact with the hot pan, how to flatten it?
When placing the rice paper on the hot pan, the heat will distort the shape of the rice paper making it misshapen. The way around this is to soak your rice paper in the water before placing it on the hot pan. The rice paper should lay flat on the surface of the pan instead of getting curled up or distorted from the heat. Remember to shake off the excess water so the rice paper can crisp up faster.
When spreading the egg, try not to touch the rice paper as it’s now very soft and you might easily wrinkle the rice paper and mess it up.
Toppings for Vietnamese pizza
- Rice paper: Any rice paper to wrap spring roll will do. They are thick and stretchy enough to withstand the heat without tearing.
- Egg: the egg is used as the binder. It helps stick the green onion and other toppings, and at the same time hydrate the rice paper to create that crispy and chewy texture at the end.
- Toppings: there are loads of variations, depending on one’s preference. My choice of toppings includes green onions, Cholimex Shrimp Satay XO, dried shallot, dried shrimp, mayo, and sriracha. These ingredients are super easy to get and will form a thin layer, which makes it easier to eat. And the flavor is definitely unbeatable.
- Cheese: cheese is optional, but I’ve seen many people use Laughing Cow cheese, which is also one of my favorites. You could replace mayo with cheese to add some of that milky and tangy taste to your pizza.
- Sauce: definitely can’t pass the chili sauce, sriracha. Maybe you don’t like it spicy, but adding the sauce will make a whole difference to your taste.
Ingredients
- rice paper
- 2 eggs
- chopped green onions
- 1 teaspoon of Cholimex shrimp satay
- fried shallot
- dried shrimp
- mayo
- sriracha or sweet chili sauce
How to make Vietnamese pizza
- Beat the eggs with chopped onions, and Cholimex paste very well until the mixture becomes consistent.
- Soak your rice paper in room-temperature water and shake off the excess water.
- Place rice paper on a hot pan and gently spread the egg mixture to fully cover the rice paper. When spreading the egg, try not to touch the rice paper as it’s now very soft and you might easily wrinkle the rice paper and mess it up. The thinner the egg layer, the crispier it gets.
- Top with the fried shallot and shrimp.
- To test the crunch, use a spoon or spatular and press on the pizza. You should be able to hear the cracking sound from the rice paper underneath the egg, that’s when you know it’s ready.
- When it’s nice and crispy, squeeze your mayo and sriracha (hot sauce) to taste. Fold you fold the pizza if desired.
Vietnamese Pizza
Ingredients
- rice paper
- 2 eggs
- chopped green onions
- 1 teaspoon Cholimex shrimp satay XO
- fried shallot
- dried shrimp
- mayonnaise
- sriracha or sweet chili sauce
Instructions
- Beat the eggs with chopped onions, and Cholimex paste very well until the mixture becomes consistent.
- Soak your rice paper in room-temperature water and shake off the excess water.
- Place rice paper on a hot pan and gently spread the egg mixture to fully cover the rice paper. When spreading the egg, try not to touch the rice paper as it's now very soft and you might easily wrinkle the rice paper and mess it up. The thinner the egg layer, the crispier it gets.
- Top with the fried shallot and shrimp.
- To test the crunch, use a spoon or spatular and press on the pizza. You should be able to hear the cracking sound from the rice paper underneath the egg, that's when you know it's ready.
- When it's nice and crispy, squeeze your mayo and sriracha (hot sauce) to taste. Fold you fold the pizza if desired.
