Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Nem Hà Nội)

Introduction

Nem Hà Nội, or Vietnamese spring rolls, are a popular and delicious dish in Hanoi. These crispy rolls are filled with a savory mixture of meat, vegetables, and herbs, and they're often served with a dipping sauce. In this blog post, we'll guide you through making Nem Hà Nội at home.

Ingredients

• 30 rice paper wrappers
• 400g pork shoulder, minced
• 100g vermicelli noodles, soaked in warm water
• 50g wood ear mushrooms, soaked in warm water
• 10 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 8 scallions, washed and chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 100g dried shrimp, ground
• 200g fresh shrimp, peeled and chopped
• 3 duck eggs
• Fish sauce (pre-mixed for Bún Chả Hà Nội)
• Seasonings (fish sauce, seasoning powder, pepper, sugar, oyster sauce, cooking oil, caramel sauce, vinegar)

Instructions

Preparation

Prepare the ingredients:

• Soak the vermicelli noodles, wood ear mushrooms, and dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water.
• Peel and chop the onion, scallions, sweet potato, and carrot.
• Grind the dried shrimp.
• Peel and chop the fresh shrimp.

Making the Filling

Combine ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the minced pork, soaked vermicelli noodles, chopped vegetables, ground-dried shrimp, chopped fresh shrimp, and duck eggs.

Season: Add the pre-mixed fish sauce, seasoning powder, pepper, sugar, oyster sauce, caramel sauce, and vinegar to the bowl.

Mix: Mix all the ingredients together until well combined and slightly sticky.

Rolling the Spring Rolls

Prepare the wrappers: Wet each rice paper wrapper in warm water for a few seconds until pliable.

Fill the wrappers: Place a small amount of the filling in the center of the rice paper wrapper.

Roll the wrappers: Fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling, then roll up tightly.

Seal the ends: Moisten the ends of the wrapper with water to seal.

Frying the Spring Rolls

Heat the oil: Heat a deep pot of oil to 350°F (175°C).

Fry the spring rolls: Carefully add a few spring rolls to the hot oil and fry until golden brown and crispy.

Drain: Remove the spring rolls from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Repeat: Fry the remaining spring rolls in batches.

Serve: Serve the spring rolls hot with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Tips

• For a vegetarian option, replace the pork with tofu or tempeh.
• You can also add other vegetables to the filling, such as mushrooms, bean sprouts, or cilantro.
• Experiment with different dipping sauces, such as a sweet chili sauce or a peanut sauce.

Following these instructions, you can easily make delicious Nem Hà Nội at home. Enjoy this classic Vietnamese dish!