Vietnam Cha Gio (Crispy Spring Rolls)
From A Little Vietnamese Cookbook by Terry Tan

Pronounced: chah zoh

Quintessentially Vietnamese, these delicate, crispy fried rolls are a refinement from the more robust Chinese rolls. The basic ingredient is minced pork, to which either prawns or crab can be added for savory flavor. The gossamer thin bang tranhg (rice paper) is hard to handle. You can use conventional spring roll skins as an easy alternative, but you won't achieve the same crispy results.

A Vietnamese spring roll is different from a Chinese spring roll in that it is typically smaller and contains ground or chopped meats/seafood such as pork, crab, shrimp, chicken, taro or cassava, glass noodle, wood-ear fungi or oyster mushrooms and shredded carrots. Rice papers are always used as the wrappers in Vietnam. A few Vietnamese restaurants in western countries may use the Chinese spring roll wrappers due to the inavailability of rice papers initially.

In Chinese cuisine, spring rolls are savoury rolls with cabbage and other vegetable fillings inside a wrapped cylinder shaped thin pastry. From areas such as Zhejiang in eastern China, and northern China, they are usually eaten during the Spring Festival in China, hence the name. Meat varieties, particularly pork are also popular.

Dip your cha gio into the fish sauce that accompanies them, or chop them up and toss them with your favorite bun dish (rice vermicelli noodle dish).

2 oz translucent rice vermicelli or cellophane noodles, chopped
2 tbsp dried tree ears (wood fungus or wood ears), soaked until soft and chopped
3 Chinese mushroom caps (shiitake), soaked until soft and chopped
6 oz minced cooked pork [or shrimp, chicken, etc.]
4 oz water chestnuts, chopped
2 stalks spring onions, chopped
2 tbsp nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)
1 tsp pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
12-14 sheets banh tranhg (rice paper)
vegetable oil for deep frying
cornstarch (optional)

Put all ingredients except skins or rice paper in a large mixing bowl and blend well. Adding a tablespoon of cornstarch will give the mixture a smooth texture, but this is optional. To adjust seasoning, boil a small nugget of mixture and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

In a bowl of tepid water gently lower each sheet of bang tranhg or spring roll skin until soft and shake off excess water. Very carefully, lay sheets on a clean chopping board. Place a heaped tablespoon of mixture on sheet or skin, roll over once, and fold in sides. Roll over once more and tuck in firmly, patting the ends down. Finish making rolls as oil heats in the wok.

Gently lower each roll in the oil to deep fry—a few at a time until light brown and crisp. Serve with fresh lettuce and mint leaves with nuoc cham (see recipe below).

Nuoc Cham (Chili, Garlic, and Fish Sauce) - or see this recipe which I have used and is good

Piquant dips do double duty as condiments and seasonings in Vietnamese cooking. The base for these is always nuoc mam and you can add ingredients such as lime juice, chopped chilies, chopped nuts, spring onions, fried garlic, ginger and fresh herbs such as coriander, sweet basil, and mint.

4 red chilies
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar
2 limes, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp vinegar
5 tbsp nuoc mam (fish sauce)

Remove stalks from chilies and de-seed if you want a milder dip, though this defeats the purpose of nuoc cham. Pound garlic in a pestle and add chilies one by one, processing until you get a fine paste. Add sugar and lime pieces and pound to a pulp. Remove to a small sauce bowl and add water, vinegar, and fish sauce. Mix well and serve. Variations on the sauce can include chopped coriander, chopped ginger, pineapple, and any fresh herbs.