One of the most popular foods throughout Vietnam is the Egg Roll, which makes an ideal quick snack.  They are called Chả Giò in the South and Nem Rán in the North, and their fillings vary from region to region.

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Makes about 30

INGREDIENTS:

• 30 dried rice wrappers
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 1 bunch fresh mint, stalks removed, lettuce, and nuoc cham (dipping sauce) to serve

For the filling

• 50g/2oz dried bean thread (cellophane) noodles (bun tau), soaked in warm water for 20 minutes
• 25g/1oz dried cloud ear (wood ear) mushrooms (nam meo), soaked in warm water for 15 minutes
• 2 eggs
• 30ml/2 tablespoon (tbsp) nuoc mam (fish sauce)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 10ml/2 teaspoon (tsp) sugar
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
• 350g/12oz/1½ cups minced (ground) pork
• 175g/6oz/1¾ cups cooked crab meat or raw prawns (shrimp)
• Salt and ground black pepper
• If you like you can add vegetables such as shredded jicama, carrots, and/or cabbage.

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make the filling, squeeze dry the soaked noodles and chop them into small pieces.  Squeeze dry the soaked dried cloud ear mushrooms and chop them.
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl.  Stir in the nuoc mam, garlic and sugar.  Add the onion, spring onions, noodles, mushrooms, pork and crab meat or prawns.  Season well with salt and ground black pepper.
3. Have ready a damp dishtowel, some clear film (plastic wrap) and a bowl of water.  Dip a rice wrapper in the water and place it on the damp towel.  Spoon about 15ml/1 tbsp of the spring roll filling on to the side nearest to you, just in from the edge.  Fold the nearest edge over the filling, fold over the sides, tucking them in neatly, and then roll the whole wrapper into a tight cylinder.  Place the roll on a plate and cover with clear film to keep it moist.  Continue making spring rolls in the same way, using the remaining wrappers and filling.
4. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or heavy pan for deap-frying.  Make sure it is hot enough by dropping in a small piece of bread; it should foam and sizzle.  Cook the spring rolls in batches, turning them in the oil so that they become golden all over.  Drain them on kitchen paper and serve immediately with mint and lettuce leaves to wrap around them and nuoc cham for dipping.