Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Nem Rán, Hanoi-style)

Name: Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Nem Rán, Hanoi-style)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: rice papers; 3 tbsp rice flour; 3 tbsp water; 1 tbsp wine or beer; ¼ tsp salt; 1.1 pound ground pork; 1 tbsp cooking oil; 2 egg yolks; ½ tbsp chicken powder; ½ tbsp salt; ½ tbsp black pepper powder; ¼ tbsp sugar; 1 pound mung bean sprouts; ⅓ medium-sized carrot; 5 wood ear mushroom; 1 handful cilantro; 1 sprig green onion; 1 oz bean thread noodles; 2 tbsp fried shallots; ½ bulb kohlrabi; ⅔ medium-sized carrot; ½ tsp salt; 1 tbsp sugar; 1 tbsp vinegar; 1 tbsp fish sauce; 5 tbsp water; ¾ tbsp vinegar; 1 tbsp sugar; minced garlic; minced chili

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Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
mins
Servings
4 people
Course
Main Course, Appetizer, Snacks
Cuisine
Vietnamese

Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Nem Rán, Hanoi-style)

Gael Pickett

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Nem rán (the Hanoi-styled fried spring rolls) boast a delightful combination of a crispy coal and a flavorful juicy filling. They are not only delicious but also entirely gluten-free. Discover tips for crispy spring rolls without bursting or exploding.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the rice papers (optinal but this step helps your spring rolls turn out super-crispy)

rice papers (I used 8.5 inches / 22 cm diameter rice papers)
3 tbsp rice flour
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp wine or beer
¼ tsp salt

For the filling

1.1 pound ground pork (500g)
1 tbsp cooking oil
2 egg yolks (use egg white to seal the spring rolls)
½ tbsp chicken powder
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp black pepper powder
¼ tbsp sugar
1 pound mung bean sprouts (400g)
⅓ medium-sized carrot (25g)
5 wood ear mushroom (5g)
1 handful cilantro (optional)
1 sprig green onion (optional)
1 oz bean thread noodles (30g)
2 tbsp fried shallots (optional)

Hanoi-styled dipping sauce (optional)

½ bulb kohlrabi (3.5oz or 100g) (green papaya, cucumber)
⅔ medium-sized carrot (1.7oz or 50g)
½ tsp salt (for the pickle)
1 tbsp sugar (for the pickle)
1 tbsp vinegar (for the pickle)
1 tbsp fish sauce
5 tbsp water
¾ tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
minced garlic (to your taste)
minced chili (to your taste)
black pepper powder (to your taste)

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Instructions

Make the filling

Start by soaking the wood ear mushrooms and bean thread noodles. Be sure to soak the noodles only until they soften, without letting them fully absorb water.
Next, cut the mung bean sprouts into 0.6-inch (1.5 cm) pieces. If you're using kohlrabi or jicama, julienne them instead.
Julienne the carrots, chop the cilantro, green onion, and wood ear mushrooms, and cut the bean thread noodles into 1-inch (3 cm) pieces.
In one bowl, combine these ingredients: mung bean sprouts, carrots, cilantro, green onion, wood ear mushrooms, bean thread noodles, and fried shallots. Gently mix them until just incorporated.
In another bowl, add the ground pork, egg yolk, and all the seasonings, thoroughly mixing them together.
Finally, combine the meat mixture with the vegetable bowl and gently mix them together.

Prepare the rice paper (optional)

Mix water, wine (or beer), rice powder and salt together.
Use a brush to apply this mixture to one side of all your rice papers.
If you skip this step, dip your rice paper into beer or coke for 3-5 seconds to soften it before wrapping.

Wrap the spring rolls

Place a single rice paper on a spacious plate, making sure the side coated with the liquid mixture faces downward.
Put 2.5 tablespoons of filling, suitable for an 8.5-inch (22 cm) diameter rice paper, on the lower third of the rice paper.
Roll the rice paper around the filling, starting with one rotation, and then fold the sides inwards towards the center. Continue rolling until the filling is completely enclosed.
Use any remaining egg white as adhesive to seal the roll's edge.
Repeat this procedure until you have wrapped all the filling.

Fry the spring rolls

Heat a generous quantity of oil in a pan, ensuring there's enough to submerge the spring rolls at least halfway. Ideally, if you can deep-fry the rolls, that's even better.
Fry the spring rolls over medium-low heat until the rice paper takes on a light golden hue. Remove them from the oil and let them cool before the second round of frying.
For the second frying, you can choose to either deep-fry or air-fry your spring rolls. (I personally favor air frying as it helps remove excess oil from the spring rolls, resulting in a less greasy and healthier outcome.)You can deep-fry the spring rolls on high heat until crispy or air-fry them at 390°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes.

Make the dipping sauce (optional)

Peel and thinly slice the carrot and kohlrabi.
Toss the carrot and kohlrabi with salt and sugar, then let them sit for 15 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine together fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili, garlic, and black pepper.
Add the carrot and kohlrabi, drained of any brine, to the bowl of fish sauce.
Now you can savor this dipping sauce with your spring rolls.