Vietnamese: Egg Rolls (Chả Giò)

Recipe by Thu Nguyen <hello.thu.nguyen@gmail.com>

(makes approx 30 rolls)

Vietnamese egg rolls (Chả Giò) are a beloved staple of Vietnamese cuisine, known for their crispy rice paper shells and savory fillings of ground meat and vegetables. Originating from Northern Vietnam, these rolls were traditionally served at Lunar New Year and family gatherings, symbolizing wealth and prosperity. Unlike their Chinese counterparts wrapped in wheat flour, the use of rice paper is a distinctively Vietnamese technique that provides a lighter, crispier texture. Today, Chả Giò is savored globally, often accompanied by fresh herbs, lettuce, and a traditional fish sauce-based dipping sauce (nuoc mam/cham), offering a unique blend of textures and flavors.

Ingredients:

• Neutral cooking oil (vegetable or peanut)
• Dipping fish sauce (nước chấm)
• Pickled daikon and carrots (do chua)
• Rice vermicelli
• Green leaf lettuce
• Vietnamese perilla (tia to)
• Fresh mint

Pork Filling:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb minced shrimp
• 2 oz dried bean thread vermicelli noodles (roughly chopped)
• ½ cup of carrots (shredded and excess moisture squeezed)
• ½ cup wood ear mushroom (roughly chopped)
• 2 green onions (trim off ends and slice thinly)
• 1 small white/yellow onion (peel and finely dice)
• 3 tsp garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder / or mushroom powder

Egg roll wrappers:

• 1 package Menlo All Purpose Wrappers or TYJ Spring Roll Pastry Wrappers
• 1 beaten egg yolk (to seal egg rolls)

Procedure:

1. Prep dried bean thread vermicelli: Soak bean threads in hot water until soft (about 10 minutes); remove from water and roughly chop; set aside
2. Prep wrappers: Thaw out the egg roll wrappers (if frozen); separate into individual sheets by pulling them apart slowly to prevent tearing
3. Mix the pork filling: in a large bowl, mix together ground pork, minced shrimp, vermicelli noodles, carrots, wood ear mushroom, green onions, diced onions, garlic, salt, sugar, black pepper, sesame oil, oyster sauce, bouillon/mushroom powder; set aside
4. Assemble egg rolls: place 2 teaspoons of filling at the bottom corner of the wrapper; begin rolling upward, folding in the sides when halfway; brush the top edge with beaten egg, then finish rolling to seal
5. Fry egg rolls: Heat vegetable oil to 325°F in a wok or tall skillet; fry the egg rolls in small batches for 5 minutes until golden brown (make sure they don’t touch); drain on a wire rack
6. Serve with Nuoc Mam Cham (Vietnamese fish sauce dipping sauce)
7. To eat: wrap egg rolls in lettuce vermicelli, pickled carrots and daikon, herbs (like mint and Vietnamese coriander), and perilla