Nem ran (north vietnamese spring rolls)

Step 1

Place the wood-ear fungus in a heatproof bowl. Cover with warm water and set aside for 30 minutes to soak. Drain and finely chop. Combine the chopped fungus, pork, prawns, green shallots, noodles, yam beans, eggs, pepper, salt, chicken stock powder and sugar in a large bowl.

Step 2

Fill a bowl with warm water. Dip 1 sheet of rice paper in the water for 10-15 seconds or until it begins to soften. Drain and top with 1 tablespoon of filling. Fold in the sides and roll up firmly to enclose the filling. Repeat with the remaining rice-paper sheets and filling.

Step 3

Add enough oil to a large saucepan or deep frying pan to reach a depth of 6cm and heat over medium heat.

Step 4

(To test when oil is ready, a cube of bread turns golden brown in 20 seconds.) Add one-third of the spring rolls and deep-fry for 10 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat in 2 more batches with remaining spring rolls, reheating oil between batches. Cut each spring roll into 3 equal pieces.