Cha Gio (Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr 15 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Chilling Time
1 hr
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Total Time
2 hrs 40 mins
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Servings
10
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Calories
338 kcal
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Course
Appetizer
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Cuisine
Vietnamese
Cha Gio (Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls)
Description
Cha Gio (Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls) features a filling blending ground pork with soaked mung bean noodles, grated carrots, chopped wood ear mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and ginger. Seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, and white pepper, vinaigrette balance is achieved. The mixture is combined with egg white to bind ingredients, resulting in a moist, cohesive filling that remains tender after frying.
Rice paper wrappers are briefly soaked in warm water with dissolved sugar to assist browning and pliability. Each wrapper is rolled tightly around about 40 grams of filling, forming logs with no air pockets to maintain integrity during frying. The spring rolls are deep-fried in canola oil until contacting a crisp, golden shell.
They are traditionally served with fresh Thai herbs including cilantro, basil, and mint, along with green leaf lettuce to wrap the rolls adding freshness and texture contrast. Accompanying nuoc cham dipping sauce complements the rich filling with its tangy, sweet, and savory notes, completing the appetizer or main dish experience.
This recipe yields about 20 spring rolls, with 2 rolls per serving, each roll containing roughly 40 grams of filling, ensuring even cooking and flavor distribution.
Ingredients
For the spring rolls:
- 50 g mung bean noodles 1 package, dried
- 1 pound ground pork (70-80% lean; 450g)
- 2 carrot grated, about 190g, medium
- 1/3 cup wood ear mushroom finely chopped, 30g, rehydrated
- 1/4 cup shallot finely chopped, 30g
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 teaspoons sugar (12g - divided)
- 1 cup water 250 ml, warm, for soaking rice wrappers
- 20 rice paper wrapper bánh tráng, dried
- canola oil for frying, or vegetable oil
To serve:
- green leaf lettuce fresh, Thai basil
- cilantro
- basil
- mint
- nuoc cham dipping sauce (see our Nuoc cham recipe)
Instructions
Make the filling:
- Soak the dried mung bean noodles in warm water (submerge them completely) for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly, and cut into ¼ inch pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the noodles, ground pork, grated carrot, chopped wood ear mushrooms, shallots, garlic, ginger egg white, fish sauce, vegetable oil, salt, white pepper, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix until everything is uniformly combined.
Wrap the spring rolls:
- In a large, shallow bowl or deep plate, dissolve the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar in 1 cup warm water. Sugar is optional but does help the spring rolls to brown when frying.
- To wrap each roll, place a rice paper wrapper into the sugar water for about 5-10 seconds, making sure it is completely submerged. Remove it from the water. It will still be quite firm, but it will soften quickly!
- Place about 40g of filling in a log shape on one side of the wrapper. Begin tightly folding the wrapper over the filling (no air bubbles!), and roll the spring roll forward 1 complete revolution. Lightly press down on each end of the filling to flatten the rice paper and push the filling together to eliminate any air bubbles.
- Fold one side of the wrapper towards the middle of the spring roll. Repeat with the other side. Roll the spring roll forward while tucking in the front to prevent air pockets. The rice paper wrapper will stick to itself. It doesn’t require anything additional to seal. Place the rolls on a plate or sheet pan lined with a clean, dry kitchen towel or parchment paper.
Chill:
- Once wrapped, transfer the spring rolls to the refrigerator and chill for at least 1 hour, so they can dry out and firm up. This step helps minimize the wrapper bubbling when frying (though bubbling is normal). Take them out of the refrigerator 15 minutes before frying.
Double-fry the spring rolls:
- Heat about 3 cups of canola or vegetable oil in a medium pot to 335°F/170°C (the oil level should be a little over halfway up the sides). Fry the spring rolls in small batches—about three at a time. Make sure they do not touch just after they are placed in the oil as the skins will be sticky until a crust forms. Cook each batch for 5 to 6 minutes, or until light golden brown. (Frying them in small batches prevents them from sticking to each other.)
- Use a metal slotted spoon to pull them out of the oil. Drain on a rack, and continue frying. Maintain the correct oil temperature by periodically adjusting your heat.
- When ready to serve, refry the spring rolls (yes, they need to be fried twice) at 350°F/175°C for 1 ½ to 2 minutes to make them nice and crispy. Double-frying is important! Serve with fresh lettuce, cilantro, Thai basil, mint and nuoc cham for dipping.
Notes
- The recipe produces approximately 20 spring rolls with about 40 grams of filling per roll, making 2 rolls per serving.
- Soaking the rice paper in sugar water helps achieve a desirable golden color when frying.
- Ensure the rolls are tightly wrapped without air pockets to prevent splitting during frying.
- Serve with fresh herbs and nuoc cham dipping sauce to balance fried richness with fresh and tangy flavors.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 338 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 338kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 19g | 29% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 36mg | 12% |
| Sodium | 517mg | 22% |
| Potassium | 240mg | 5% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 2043IU | 41% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 31mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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