The Ultimate Guide to Crispy, Golden Nem: A Secret Ingredient to Transform Your Tet!

Fried spring rolls are a traditional dish often found on family dinner tables and are a familiar sight during Lunar New Year celebrations in Vietnam. There’s nothing quite like biting into a crispy, fragrant spring roll, especially when dipped in a spicy, sweet, and sour fish sauce.

Despite the familiarity of this dish, many people share that they struggle to achieve that perfect crispiness, with the spring rolls often becoming soggy, bursting, or lacking that golden-brown color. That’s why we’re here to share some tips and tricks from Ms. Thu Phuong from Hanoi on how to fry spring rolls to crispy perfection, ensuring you’ll have many batches of delicious spring rolls this Lunar New Year.

Ms. Thu Phuong.

According to Ms. Phuong, while each family may have their own unique recipe for spring roll fillings, the common ingredients include minced meat, carrots, scallions, bean sprouts (or turnips, jicama, napa cabbage, etc., depending on preference), wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and cellophane noodles. As there may be slight variations in ingredients, Ms. Phuong mainly focuses on sharing the technique of wrapping the spring rolls to prevent bursting and achieving that desirable crispiness.

1. How to Wrap Spring Rolls to Prevent Bursting

When wrapping spring rolls, avoid rolling them too tightly. This can cause the spring roll wrapper to tear when the filling, which includes cellophane noodles and eggs, expands slightly during frying.

2. Tips for Crispier Spring Rolls

There are several tricks to achieving crispier spring rolls:

– Brush the spring roll wrappers with beer. This will give the spring rolls a beautiful golden color and a crispy texture.

– Prepare a bowl of diluted sugar water and brush it onto the unfried spring rolls. This will also give the spring rolls a golden hue and a delicious crispiness.

– Alternatively, you can use a mixture of vinegar and water. Combine half a bowl of water with approximately one teaspoon of rice vinegar and stir well. This mixture will help soften the spring roll wrappers during wrapping and contribute to a crispier, more aesthetically pleasing spring roll when fried.

3. Frying Techniques for Spring Rolls

Technique 1: Double Frying

After wrapping the spring rolls, fry them in two batches of oil. For the first batch, heat the oil on low heat and fry the spring rolls until they are partially cooked. Then, remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. For the second batch, use fresh oil and fry the spring rolls until they are fully cooked and have a golden, crispy exterior.

Technique 2: Deep Frying

This method involves frying the spring rolls in enough oil to completely submerge them. This technique results in faster cooking and ensures an even golden-brown color on all sides of the spring rolls. To conserve oil, you can use a deep saucepan or a small frying pan.

Technique 3: Adding Lemon Juice

When adding oil to the pan, include a few drops of lemon juice. This will not only prevent the oil from splattering but also contribute to the crispiness of the spring rolls.

Fry the spring rolls until they are golden and crispy, then remove them from the oil and place them on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

We wish you success in frying your spring rolls!