Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls With Dipping Sauce

Step 1

Soak the mung bean noodles in hot water for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and chop into 1/4 inch pieces.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, add in the ground meat, chopped noodles, shredded carrot, minced shallot, minced garlic, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and half of the beaten egg. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix until combined.

Step 3

In a shallow bowl, add 1 cup water and 2 tsp sugar and allow the sugar to dissolve. Then line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this is where you'll place the finished spring rolls to keep them from sticking!).

Step 4

Place a rice wrapper in the bowl and let it soak for 5 seconds (make sure it's completely submerged), then remove it from the water and place it on a clean kitchen towel to keep it from sticking. Place 1 tbsp of filling in a log shape on one side of the wrapper. Tightly fold the wrapper over the filling, then fold each side of the wrapper towards the center of the roll and roll the spring roll forward while tucking in the sides. There's no need to seal the spring roll, the rice wrapper is soft and sticky and will stick to itself securing your spring roll! Make sure there are no air bubbles in your spring rolls!

Step 5

Place the finished spring rolls on your prepared baking sheet. Pop them in the refrigerator and chill for 10 minutes to allow them to firm up. Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining all the ingredients together until fully combined, then set aside.

Step 6

When you're ready to fry, add the peanut oil to a medium pot. The oil should be enough to cover the spring rolls completely and allow them to float. Heat the oil to 325F, then fry the spring rolls in small batches (I usually do 4 at a time, make sure they don't touch or they will stick to each other). Fry each batch for 5 minutes, the spring rolls should be golden and crispy. Remove them from the pot and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil!

Step 7

Serve with your homemade Nuoc Cham dipping sauce and fresh lettuce (if desired). I don't recommend storing fried spring rolls as they get soggy in just a few hours, if you need less spring rolls you're better off cutting this recipe in half!