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fried spring rolls on a plate with vegetables and dipping sauce

Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)

These delicious Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Cha Gio) are packed with a mixture of ground pork, vegetables, Asian seasonings and of course, noodles, all wrapped up in thin wheat wrappers and fried to perfection. They're not only delicious but also fun to make and perfect to serve as an appetiser or light meal. Make these and bring a taste of Vietnam to your kitchen!
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Prep Time:25 minutes
Cook Time:15 minutes
Total Time:40 minutes
Course: Appetiser, Entree, Finger Food
Cuisine: South East Asian, Vietnamese
Keyword: Deep Fry Pork, Noodles, Pork Mince, Spring Roll
Servings: 20
Author: Kate

Ingredients

  • 80g bean thread vermicelli noodles (2 bundles)
  • 500g pork mince (not lean)
  • 1 large carrot, finely grated
  • 2 spring/green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 eschalots, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • ¼ cup coriander leaves & stems, finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 250g packet (20 sheets) frozen spring roll pastry, thawed (See notes)
  • Vegetable oil, for deep frying

FLOUR GLUE (TO SEAL)

  • 1 tablespoon plain flour (AP flour)
  • 3 teaspoons water

NOUC CHAM DIPPING SAUCE

  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 small birds eye chilli, diced

Instructions

  • Place the vermicelli noodles into a bowl. Cover with warm water and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towel then using scissors, cut into roughly 4cm lengths. Place into a bowl.
  • Add the pork mince, carrots, spring/green onions, eschalots, garlic, coriander, egg, fish sauce, oyster sauce, stock powder, sugar, pepper and salt. Using your hands, mix until well combined.
  • Working with one wrapper at a time, place a heaped spoonful of the filling onto the corner closest to you. Fold the wrapper over to enclose then fold the sides in. Continue rolling up firmly (not that firmly that it splits though) but just before the end, using your finger, brush a little “flour glue” over the end corner then roll up to fully enclose and seal. Repeat with remaining ingredients until you have 20 rolls. Cover and chill until required (you can also freeze at this point too. see instructions in post above).
  • Heat enough oil in a wok or deep saucepan to come one-third up the sides until it reaches 170℃. Alternately, use an electric deep fryer following the manufacturer’s directions. Tip: To test if the oil is ready, drop a cube of bread into the oil—it should crisp up within 20 seconds. Alternatively, use a laser temperature gadget for accuracy.
  • First Deep Fry: Working with 4-5 spring rolls at a time, carefully lower them into the hot oil and cook for 4-6 minutes or until they are golden brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove them, drain on paper towels quickly, and then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat the this process with the remaining spring rolls, ensuring that the oil returns to the correct temperature before frying each batch
  • Second Deep Fry: Reheat the oil to 190℃. Do a second fry on the spring rolls, in batches, for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and 100% cooked through (make sure to test one). Drain and set aside.
  • Serve the Vietnamese fried spring rolls with the Nouc Cham Dipping Sauce or your sauce of choice along with lettuce, mint, pickled carrot and cucumber, if desired.

FLOUR GLUE

  • Combine flour and water in a small bowl until a thick paste forms.

NOUC CHAM

  • Combine all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake until sugar has fully dissolved. Alternately, whisk together in a small bowl. Chill in the refrigerator until required. Use within 1 week.

Notes

  • COOKS NOTES:
    Oven Temps:     Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
    Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup =  250 ml.
    Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
    Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
    Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified.
  • SPRING ROLL WRAPPERS
    It’s essential to choose the right spring roll wrappers for the best results. I recommend purchasing them from the freezer section at Coles supermarket. However, I advise against buying the ones from Woolworths, as the brand they sell tends to be challenging to separate, resulting in significant losses. The Coles wrappers are excellent and easy to separate. If you have access to an Asian grocer, their wrappers are also suitable.In case Woolworths is your only option, you can still make the spring rolls, but be prepared for a bit more effort in handling the wrappers.
     
    TIP: To Thaw – Pop the frozen wrappers into the fridge an hour or so before rolling the spring rolls too ‘gently’ thaw. It helps with less condensation on the wrappers therefore less tearing.