Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Nem Rán, Hanoi-style)

Nem rán is the Hanoi version of Vietnamese fried spring rolls, featuring a crispy exterior and a flavorful filling. Not only are they delicious, but they’re also completely gluten-free.

In this post, I’m sharing the authentic recipe for Nem Rán along with its genuine Hanoi-styled dipping sauce. You’ll also find here all the tips to ensure that your spring rolls don’t burst or explode while frying but turn out super crispy.

Nem Rán: A Must-Try Street Food When Visiting Hanoi

Although I was born and raised in the South, Hanoi’s cuisine holds a special place in my heart. During my year living in Hanoi, I became captivated by the local food.

If you’re planning a trip to Hanoi, check out my guide on eating in Hanoi with recommendations from the locals.

Nem Rán is a type of spring roll popular in Hanoi. This dish is also a staple for Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) celebrations in the North.

Nem Rán is popular in the North and is typically wrapped in rice papers, with the best ones made from 100% rice (no tapioca starch). This makes them completely gluten-free.

The filling of Nem Rán achieves a harmonious balance with its meaty texture, combining proteins like ground pork and shrimp with crunchy vegetables such as mung bean sprouts, kohlrabi, or jicama. A hint of cilantro or Thai basil is also added to infuse a deeper flavor.

Chả Giò from the South is a bit different. Since the Southern cuisine is influenced by the Chinese/Cantonese immigrants, the spring rolls in the South also share some similar to Chinese Egg Rolls and Indonesian/Filipino Lumpia.

They can be wrapped in either rice papers or egg roll wrappers, so they can be referred to by both names, spring rolls or egg rolls. If they are made with egg roll wrappers, they would contain gluten.

The filling is also different. It includes ground pork, crunchy vegetables, and starchy ingredients such as taro roots, sweet potatoes, or mung beans.

1. Rice papers

The best rice papers for Hanoi Spring Rolls are called Bánh Đa Nem, which are made from 100% rice. They will help your spring rolls turn out super crispy.

However, imported rice paper often contains a percentage of tapioca starch. This makes them much easier to handle and store for a longer time but results in less crispiness when frying.

To incorporate more rice content to the rice papers, I made a mixture with rice powder and wine (or beer) . Both rice powder and alcohol will contribute to making your spring rolls crispy when frying.

2. Filling

The filling is the key factor that ensures your spring rolls won’t burst or explode. It’s also important to get the ingredient ratios right for the best flavor and texture.

Here are the traditional ingredients for Nem Rán Hà Nội:

• Ground pork: Pork is a staple in Vietnamese cuisine. You can also substitute a portion of the pork with shrimp or crab to enhance the flavor.
• Mung bean sprouts: Another traditional ingredient for Nem Rán. While you can use Kohlrabi or Jicama, mung bean sprouts save time as you don’t need to julienne the vegetables.
• Carrot: It imparts a sweet flavor to the filling, but be cautious not to add too much carrot, as it can lead to the spring rolls burning easily.
• Egg yolk: This ingredient helps bind and enrich the filling. (save the egg white to seal the spring rolls)
• Bean thread noodles and wood ear mushrooms: These may be small in quantity but are crucial for enhancing the texture of the filling.
• Crispy-fried shallots, green onions, and cilantro (optional): These additions contribute a deep and flavorful dimension to the spring rolls.

• Seasonings: Including chicken powder, salt, sugar, black pepper powder, and cooking oil to complete the flavor profile.

3. Dipping Sauce

The simplest dipping sauce for spring rolls is sweet chili sauce.

If you’re truly seeking an authentic Vietnamese taste, I recommend you to take a little extra time to prepare my Northern-style dipping fish sauce. This versatile dipping sauce pairs perfectly with several signature Hanoi dishes.

For this dipping sauce, you will need:

• Fish Sauce: A fundamental component of many Vietnamese dishes.
• Kohlrabi (or Green Papaya) & Carrot: These vegetables give a refreshing crunch to the sauce.
• Salt: Salt helps season the vegetable in the sauce.
• Vinegar
• Sugar
• Chili
• Garlic
• Black Pepper Powder

Helpful Tips

• To prevent your spring rolls from bursting during frying: Ensure the filling is dry. A watery filling can cause your fried rolls to explode. My tip: Mix the vegetable part and pork part separately before combining them later.

• Wheat flour could be substituted for rice flour when making the mixture for applying to the rice papers.
• Enhance flavor by adding some crab meat or chopped shrimp to the filling.
• For a pork-free alternative, use ground chicken.
• You can substitute rice vinegar with lime juice, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar.

How to Enjoy Nem Rán

Storing

The best way to store spring rolls is keeping them in the freezer after the initial frying. Before eating, simply reheat them in an air fryer or deep-fry them again (no need to thaw).

This method allows you to prepare spring rolls in a large batch and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.

FAQs

More authentic Vietnamese recipes

Vietnamese Fried Spring Rolls (Nem Rán, Hanoi-style)

Cielle

Nem rán (the Hanoi-styled fried spring rolls) boast a delightful combination of a crispy coal and a flavorful juicy filling. They are not only delicious but also entirely gluten-free. Discover tips for crispy spring rolls without bursting or exploding.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine Vietnamese

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 2 Mixing bowls
• 1 silicone brush
• 1 Large plate
• 1 non-stick pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the rice papers (optinal but this step helps your spring rolls turn out super-crispy)

• Rice Papers (I used 8.5 inches / 22 cm diameter rice papers)
• 3 tbsp rice flour
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp wine or beer
• ¼ tsp salt

For the filling

• 1.1 pound ground pork (500g)
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 egg yolks (use egg white to seal the spring rolls)
• ½ tbsp chicken powder
• ½ tbsp salt
• ½ tbsp black pepper powder
• ¼ tbsp sugar
• 1 pound mung bean sprouts (400g)
• ⅓ medium-sized carrot (25g)
• 5 wood ear mushroom (5g)
• 1 handful cilantro (optional)
• 1 sprig green onion (optional)
• 1 oz bean thread noodles (30g)
• 2 tbsp fried shallots (optional)

Hanoi-styled dipping sauce (optional)

• ½ bulb kohlrabi (3.5oz or 100g) (green papaya, cucumber)
• ⅔ medium-sized carrot (1.7oz or 50g)
• ½ tsp salt (for the pickle)
• 1 tbsp sugar (for the pickle)
• 1 tbsp vinegar (for the pickle)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 5 tbsp water
• ¾ tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• minced garlic (to your taste)
• minced chili (to your taste)
• black pepper powder (to your taste)

Instructions

 

Make the filling

• Start by soaking the wood ear mushrooms and bean thread noodles. Be sure to soak the noodles only until they soften, without letting them fully absorb water.
  
• Next, cut the mung bean sprouts into 0.6-inch (1.5 cm) pieces. If you're using kohlrabi or jicama, julienne them instead.
  
• Julienne the carrots, chop the cilantro, green onion, and wood ear mushrooms, and cut the bean thread noodles into 1-inch (3 cm) pieces.
  
• In one bowl, combine these ingredients: mung bean sprouts, carrots, cilantro, green onion, wood ear mushrooms, bean thread noodles, and fried shallots. Gently mix them until just incorporated.
  
• In another bowl, add the ground pork, egg yolk, and all the seasonings, thoroughly mixing them together.
  
• Finally, combine the meat mixture with the vegetable bowl and gently mix them together.
  

Prepare the rice paper (optional)

• Mix water, wine (or beer), rice powder and salt together.
• Use a brush to apply this mixture to one side of all your rice papers.
  
• If you skip this step, dip your rice paper into beer or coke for 3-5 seconds to soften it before wrapping.

Wrap the spring rolls

• Place a single rice paper on a spacious plate, making sure the side coated with the liquid mixture faces downward.
• Put 2.5 tablespoons of filling, suitable for an 8.5-inch (22 cm) diameter rice paper, on the lower third of the rice paper.
  
• Roll the rice paper around the filling, starting with one rotation, and then fold the sides inwards towards the center. Continue rolling until the filling is completely enclosed.
  
• Use any remaining egg white as adhesive to seal the roll's edge.
  
• Repeat this procedure until you have wrapped all the filling.

Fry the spring rolls

• Heat a generous quantity of oil in a pan, ensuring there's enough to submerge the spring rolls at least halfway. Ideally, if you can deep-fry the rolls, that's even better.
  
• Fry the spring rolls over medium-low heat until the rice paper takes on a light golden hue. Remove them from the oil and let them cool before the second round of frying.
  
• For the second frying, you can choose to either deep-fry or air-fry your spring rolls. (I personally favor air frying as it helps remove excess oil from the spring rolls, resulting in a less greasy and healthier outcome.)

  You can deep-fry the spring rolls on high heat until crispy or air-fry them at 390°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes.

Make the dipping sauce (optional)

• Peel and thinly slice the carrot and kohlrabi.
  
• Toss the carrot and kohlrabi with salt and sugar, then let them sit for 15 minutes.
  
• In a separate bowl, combine together fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, chili, garlic, and black pepper.
• Add the carrot and kohlrabi, drained of any brine, to the bowl of fish sauce.
  
• Now you can savor this dipping sauce with your spring rolls.
  

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