Nem Rán (Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls)

Name: Nem Rán (Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls)
Total time: 2400 s
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 14 oz ground pork (400 g); 1 kohlrabi; 1 carrot; Wood ear mushrooms; Glass noodles (cellophane noodles); 1 large egg; Fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder, black pepper, sugar, lime, vinegar, garlic, cooking oil; Assorted fresh herbs (for serving)

thuhoai @cook_4023484

Tokyo

It's the weekend, so I made a big batch of nem rán to keep in the freezer. On busy days after school, I just reheat them in the oven, cook some rice noodles, make the dipping sauce, and I have a delicious meal ready to go!

thuhoai @cook_4023484

Saved

Ingredients

40 minutes

14 ozground pork (400 g)
1kohlrabi
1carrot
Wood ear mushrooms
Glassnoodles (cellophane noodles)
1large egg
Fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder, black pepper, sugar, lime, vinegar, garlic, cooking oil
Assorted fresh herbs (for serving)

Saved

Steps

40 minutes

1

Finely chop the kohlrabi and carrot. Soak the wood ear mushrooms and glass noodles in water until soft. Chop the mushrooms and cut the noodles into 1-inch (about 3 cm) pieces.
2

In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, kohlrabi, carrot, mushrooms, noodles, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, black pepper, chicken bouillon powder, and 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Mix well.
3

Place a spoonful of filling in the center of a spring roll wrapper. Fold up the bottom, tuck in the sides, and roll tightly. Avoid making the rolls too large so they fry up crispier and tastier. For faster assembly when making many rolls, lay out several wrappers on a clean tray, lightly mist them with water to soften, add filling to each, then roll them up once the wrappers are pliable.
4

Before frying, chill the rolls in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to help them crisp up. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the rolls and fry until golden on one side, then turn and fry the other side until golden and cooked through. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Fry over medium heat; if the oil is not hot enough, the rolls will absorb too much oil and won't be as tasty.
5

For the dipping sauce, mix lime juice and sugar with warm water to taste for a sweet and tangy base (make it slightly sweet). Gradually add fish sauce until the saltiness is just right. Finally, add minced garlic, chopped chili, and a small spoonful of garlic vinegar.
6

To store extra rolls, let them cool, then place in a zip-top bag or container and freeze. When ready to eat, thaw at room temperature, then reheat in the oven at 320°F (160°C) for about 5 minutes or refry until hot. Enjoy!