Crispy deep-fried spring rolls with a shattering rice paper shell encasing a savory filling of ground chicken, crab meat, glass noodles, wood ear mushrooms, and shredded carrots, served with fresh lettuce leaves and nuoc cham.
Ingredients
20 rice paper wrappers (small round)
300g ground chicken
100g crab meat
50g glass noodles, soaked and chopped
30g dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked and minced
1 carrot, finely shredded
1 egg, beaten
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Lettuce leaves and fresh herbs for serving
Instructions
1Soak glass noodles and wood ear mushrooms in warm water for fifteen minutes, drain thoroughly, and chop into small pieces.
2Combine ground chicken, crab meat, chopped noodles, mushrooms, shredded carrot, shallots, garlic, egg, fish sauce, sugar, and pepper in a bowl and mix until well combined.
3Soften each rice paper wrapper briefly with a damp cloth, place a tablespoon of filling near the edge, fold in the sides, and roll tightly.
4Heat oil to 160 degrees Celsius and fry the rolls in batches for eight to ten minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy throughout.
5Drain on a wire rack and let rest for two minutes to allow the interior to finish cooking from residual heat.
6Serve on a platter with lettuce leaves, fresh herbs, and individual bowls of nuoc cham for wrapping and dipping.
Did You Know?
In the south, cha gio uses rice paper wrappers that blister into a uniquely bubbly texture when fried, while northern Vietnamese nem ran uses wheat-based wrappers for a smoother, crunchier shell.