Deep-Fried Spring Rolls Recipe: The Ultimate Guide
This traditional Vietnamese spring roll CHA GIO is a favourite of both mine and my kids. We love its crunchy texture and delicious flavour, which comes from the ground pork, glass noodles and root vegetables, and some time we add seafood like shrimp and crabs for flavour.
I always prepare spring rolls in advance, keeping them frozen until we’re ready to eat them. With the root vegetables, I use 250g for each, I have carrot, jicama and taro root, to shred them you can use mandoline cutter or grater box shredded it. I don’t add any salt in this vegetables because the veggies will release lot of water when you add in salt. You must press all the juice out before mix into other ingredients.
So skip the salt,
Next, 2 packs of glass noodles soak in hot water, also ¼ cup dry wood ear mushroom also soak these in hot water. For the protein I have 3 bls ground pork you can replace
to ground turkey, chicken, or adding more seafood like shrimps or crabs meat. My kid has allergy to shrimps and crabs meat so I do ground pork meat only. I use 1 large white onion chop to small pieces, 2-3 bananas shallots also chopped them up and 4 cloves of crush garlic.
The onions and shallots and other veggies are all nice and sweet there are no need to add any sugar in addition to that, I use 1 tbsp instant veggie powder if you use instant chicken powder use the low sodium or adding msg - a ji no moto that is the brand I know my mother use.
Add the chopped onions, shallots and crush garlics into the bowl of shredded vegetable. Adding 2 tbsp ground black pepper, I Like lot a black pepper in the ground pork but you can use 1 tbsp only or less if it too spicy for you but don’t’ skip, black pepper work very well with pork. In go the meat and 3 tbsp Fish sauce this will give the spring rolls a nice umami flavor when it cooked, it’ s not Smell like raw fish sauce at all, very nice when they fried. I use the three crabs brand, if you use different brands use 2 tablespoon of fish sauce only and always taste before wrapping it, from scoop a little bit of the filling cook in microwave and try it to adjudge the taste (by adding more fish sauce or less or more instant powder if you want to use less fish sauce Continuing adding 2 Eggs, wood ear mushroom, cut the glass noodle shorter (clear vermicelli) easy to mix.
Now, Use your hands get messy in the bowl mix all ingredients together to well combine. All ground meat, veggies, eggs, noodles, and black pepper all come and stick together but don’t over mix.
when the filling is ready, you can keep the meat filling in the fridge for one day on the next day give it a quick mix before wrap
Next step is wrapping the spring roll:
Next step is wrapping the spring roll:
The traditional Vietnamese spring roll is wrap in rice paper wrapper I like to use this version of Chinese wrapper, they stay crunchy all day. The rice paper you need to fry two times.
Begin fold one of the four corner like making an envelope, spoon 1 -2 tbsp of meat filling right onto the folding corner and spread the filling nice and even onto the side this way you don’t end up with the wrinkle wrapper stuff in the center of the roll then fold the left and the right corner of the wrapper toward the center and rolling the stuff forward the end then seal the end with the mix of water and cornstarch.
Ready to deep fry:
I fill the oil in the Large size pot fit 4-5 spring roll at a time. If you have deep fry or air fry machine then use it. I use this is canola oil, vegetable is also good for frying. When the oil is ready, it start bubble around the chopstick or 350F place the spring roll with the sealed side down, hold for a few seconds 1-2 second before you releasing to prevent the seal popping off.
it takes 2-3 minutes to cook each
YAH! continue to finish all wrapping and ready to deep frying.
Basic ingredients for Vietnamese spring roll (cha gio)
Yield:
it will give 50-60 piecesSupplies:
Supplies:
Mixing bowl medium size or stand mixer
Medium bowl for mixing
Large pot for deep fried or frying machine
knife, grater box, mandolin
Scale
Baking trays
silicone matt/parchment paper
Spring Rolls
Ingredients:
250g shredded Carrot
250g shredded jicama
250g shredded Taro
1 large yellow chopped onion
2 shallots diced
4 cloves minced/crushed garlic
2 vermicelli clear soaked in hot water
½ cups dry wood ear mushroom soaked in hot water
700g protein ground meat (pork, chicken , turkey, additions seafood like crabs meat or shrimps)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoons instant vegetable stock
2 tablespoon ground black pepper
2 eggs
two packages of spring roll wrappers
Cooking oil for frying (Vegetable oil , I use canola oil)
Steps:
Combine shredded vegetables in a bowl, add chopped onions and diced shallots, soften glass noodles and wood ear mushrooms, ground pork, eggs, instant veggie powder, fish sauce, black ground pepper mix all together well.
Cover and keep in the fridge while prepare for the wrapper.
How to wrapping the filling:
Remove the spring roll wraps and place hem on the counter, covering them to prevent drying.
Begin fold one of the four corner of the wrapper (like folding an envelope) and place the filling on the top. spread the filling evenly the size of the wrap, fold the left and the right corner toward centre then up roll the wrapper forward to with mixture of water and cornstarch. Watch video how to wrap spring roll in image below.
Watch video how to wrap spring roll here
Basic Rolling Technique:
1. Place the filled wrapper on a clean surface, with the filled edge facing you.
2. Fold the bottom half of the wrapper over the filling, creating a foundation for the roll.
3. Fold in the sides, making sure to align the edges.
4. Roll up the wrapper, applying gentle pressure to form a compact cylinder.
5. As you roll, make sure to:
- Keep the filling centered.
- Maintain even tension.
- Avoid air pockets.
6. Seal the edge with a small amount of water with cornstarch or a damp finger
Tips and Common Rolling Issues:
1. Wrappers tearing: Use warmer water or a damp cloth.
2. Filling falling out: Adjust filling amount or wrapper size.
3. Rolls not sealing: Use a small amount of water or adjust wrapping technique.
Tight Roll: Roll the spring roll tightly, applying more pressure.
Loose Roll: Roll the spring roll loosely, with less pressure.
Cigar Roll: Roll the spring roll into a cylindrical shape, with one end slightly tapered.
My simple dipping sauce for spring roll
