Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Nem Rán)

Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Nem Rán) © kvalifood.com

Nem rán are crispy fried spring rolls with a vegetable and tofu filling wrapped in rice paper. They are a staple at family meals and street food stalls across northern Vietnam. The rice paper casing fries to a light, shatteringly crisp shell.

Ingredients

Makes 20 rolls

Filling

  • 200 g firm tofu, crumbled
  • 100 g rice vermicelli, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained and roughly chopped
  • 3 egg yolks (whites reserved for sealing)
  • 85 g wood ear mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 85 g shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 85 g spring onion, finely chopped
  • 85 g onion, finely chopped
  • 85 g carrot, finely grated
  • 85 g bean sprouts, roughly chopped
  • 85 g coriander, finely chopped
  • 85 g peeled shrimp, minced, optional
  • 20 rice paper sheets
  • 500 ml neutral cooking oil

Dipping sauce

  • 3 tbsp sugar (or honey)
  • 2 tbsp lime juice (or kumquat juice)
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegan)
  • 6 tbsp hot water
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 red chili, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cucumber (or onion), thinly sliced

Directions

Mix the filling

  1. Combine all the filling ingredients (tofu, vermicelli, egg yolks, mushrooms, onion, spring onion, carrot, bean sprouts, coriander, and shrimp if using) in a large bowl. Mix well.

Roll

  1. Place a rice paper sheet on a board and brush a little egg white along one edge.
  2. Put about 1.5 tbsp of filling in a sausage shape near one end of the wrapper.
  3. Fold the sides inward, then roll tightly from the filling end. Press the egg-white edge to seal.

Fry and serve

  1. Make the dipping sauce: dissolve the sugar in the hot water, add the fish sauce and lime juice, then stir in the garlic, chili, and cucumber.
  2. Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Fry the rolls in batches, turning frequently, until golden and crispy - about 5-7 minutes.
  3. Drain on paper towels. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Notes

  • Omit the shrimp for a fully vegetarian roll. Replace fish sauce with soy sauce in the dipping sauce for vegan.
  • Rice paper rolls can be assembled ahead and kept covered in the fridge for an hour or two before frying.
  • Fry in batches to keep the oil temperature up - crowding the pan makes the rolls greasy.