Vietnamese Rice Paper Egg Rolls- Chả Giò

Vietnamese Rice Paper Egg Rolls, also known as Chả Giò. These egg rolls are wrapped in rice paper wrappers. They are crispy on the outside and the rice paper wrapper is also a little chewy on the inside.  These are great in lettuce wraps, as a side dish, in Vermicelli Noodle Bowls, or as a snack.

Growing up, my parents' very close friends, the Hoang's were like family to us. My "Ma Yoong" who was a wonderful cook, would dip her rice paper in beer. It makes sense that the alcohol evaporates quickly in the hot oil, leaving the egg rolls crispy. I use water with a splash of canned coconut milk and vinegar. Some people use just water. The coconut milk helps them not stick together for me. 

The egg rolls on the top row are made with rice paper wraps after their second fry. The ones in the middle that are golden brown are fried twice with flour spring roll wrappers. The egg rolls in the very bottom row have been fried only once. 

For egg rolls wrapped with the flour spring roll wrappers, you can find that post HERE.

Making sure the veggies are as dry as possible. Squeeze as much liquid out as you can. If the filling is too wet, the water can expand in the fryer, and the egg rolls can split.

I use these Spring Roll plates that are like a flat colander. You can also use a dinner plate. 

The coconut milk really helps with frying in batches; these won't stick together. I just shake the basket after a minute or two.

Egg Rolls (Updated to include rice paper wrappers)

1 bundle of Bean thread/cellophane noodles 

2 pounds ground Pork

2 large carrots

1.5 cups grated taro (optional)

1  medium onion

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons chicken powder

2 teaspoons mushroom powder, unsalted (optional; but very flavorful. I make my own by blending dried mushrooms into a powder)

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 eggs

1/3 cup black fungus, soaked in water until soft

1.5 teaspoons Black or white pepper, ground

Rice paper wrappers (see picture)

To dip the rice paper wrappers: 

Warm water in a shallow plate like a pie plate

2 tablespoons of canned coconut milk (optional; this helps the wrappers to not stick)

1 tablespoon white vinegar (optional)

Oil for frying

1. Soak cellophane noodles in warm water until they are pliable. Then drain very well and cut into approximately one-inch pieces. 
2. Drain and rinse black fungus, if using. Slice.
3. Peel the onion and carrots. Grate them. Then squeeze out as much liquid as you can from them.
4. Place all the ingredients into a bowl. Mix to combine ingredients.
5. Dip one rice paper wrapper into the water mixture. Just a quick dip. Place on a plate. 
6.  Place about 1-1.5 tablespoons of filling on a wrapper.  
7. Starting from the bottom, roll up once, covering the filling with the wrapper.
8. Fold the two horizontal sides of the wrapper over the egg roll.
9. Then keep rolling up.
10. Roll the wrapper up and make sure it's sealed. I do two plates at a time. I dip one piece of rice paper and place it on each plate. I wrap one egg roll, dip the next wrapper and place it on the plate so it can soften while I wrap the egg roll on the second plate. 
11. Fry them in hot oil (320*F ) for 5 minutes. Remove from oil and continue frying the rest of the egg rolls. Then turn the oil up to 375*-390* and fry them for another 4 minutes until they are cooked through. Frying them twice makes them extra crispy. If frying in a basket in bigger batches, shake the basket after a couple of minutes to check if there's enough room in your basket to make sure the oil can fry the egg rolls on all sides.
12. Place cooked egg rolls on a cooling rack to drain oil and they stay crispy.

Serve with your favorite sauces, or slice and wrap these up in lettuce with herbs, vegetables, and rice noodles as shown.

• There are so many ways to wrap an egg roll; just make sure it's fairly tight and they are about the same size for even cooking.
• These freeze well with the rice paper wrapper but they need to be fried before freezing. 
• Filling- you can add chicken, ground turkey, shrimp, tofu, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, green onion, etc to this filling. Add what you like.
• These heat up well in an air fryer. 
• Two types of wrappers:
  
  
  
   

  

  
  

Thanks for reading Give Peas A Chance!

Find me on

 Facebook, Twitter (@peasblog), Instagram (@peasknees), Google +

Vegetarian Egg Rolls

Just egg rolls made with some seitan. They were pretty good, I made these when one of my kids was eating vegetarian. My regular egg roll recipe was easily adapted. 

Thanks for reading Give Peas A Chance!

Find me on

 Facebook, Twitter (@peasblog), Instagram (@peasknees)

Give Peas A Chance Lao style Papaya Salad (Thum Mak Houng)

 

Updating my Thum Mak Houng post here on Give Peas A Chance since my last one is from I don't know before 2010 I think? Doesn't matter. This is how I personally make my Lao Green Papaya salad, also known as Thum Mak Houng. Thai call this Som Thum and they make theirs sweeter, without the pa deak, and they add peanuts. I prefer the Lao version. 

Rosemary Truffle Fries

 

These Rosemary Truffle Fries are more House fries  than a French fry style. They are so simple to make. I never have Black truffles so I layer on the flavor with Black Truffle oil, Black Truffle salt, and Black Truffle seasoning. Fresh garlic and rosemary pack a flavorful punch also.

Japchae

Japchae is an easy noodle dish to make and it travels well. This is vegetarian, if you don't garnish with the egg it can be served as a vegan dish. The ingredients are fairly simple and can be found at major grocery stores or the Asian market. If you can't find the noodles however you can still make this, use a thicker rice noodle or soba. The sauce is the perfect marinade for the tofu recipe at the bottom of this post also. It's also great for chicken, beef, or pork.

Yorkshire Pudding (Sous Vide Bone-in Rib Roast)

Yorkshire Pudding. I have made these before. I haven't updated though that I love the combination of both ghee and drippings the most in these. They are so flavorful and I wouldn't make them any other way. You can, however, use either or as far as ghee and fat drippings. But both make such a great combination. 

I am also including my sous vide method for a bone-in rib roast (Prime Rib depending on the grade you have purchased.) It really is a foolproof method to cook the roast to get it cooked to your likeness all the way through.

Potato and Cheese Pierogi

 Pierogi time. I decided to make some Pierogi with the kids. These are savory ones with a simple potato and cheese filling. I know that some Pierogi have a sweet filling. I have never tried the sweet ones. I've only had potato and cheese ones,  some with potato, cheese, and jalapeno, and I think spinach, potato, and cheese. These are essentially dumplings that are boiled then pan fried in butter. I serve them with sour cream, sometimes with sour cream, caramelized onion, and chopped bacon on top. Right now we're sheltering in place so ingredients are minimal.

Butter Stewed Potatoes (Instant Pot)

What's not to love about butter and potatoes? Making these potatoes in the Instant Pot is nice and hands off. The onion is optional, so is the cream. I know that some recipes call for flour, and milk to cook with the potatoes. I like them this way. Butter Stewed Potatoes are a great side dish, and quick to make. I used to make them on the stove, the pressure cooker is easier for me.

Baked Chile Rellenos Casserole

Chile Rellenos are one of my favorite foods. Has to be without meat. Made with roasted Hatch Green Chile, or Poblano peppers. Definitely NOT made with bell peppers. There's no spice in them and I like spice. I've had them with all three peppers, Hatch, Poblano, and bell pepper at restaurants. Some stuffed with meat (the later two). Some with sauce, some without. SO many different variations. I prefer the New Mexican version.

Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry

This is a very simple way to prepare baby bok choy. I don't always add sesame seeds or coconut amnios- fish sauce or soy sauce (not for Whole30 though) can be substituted. Often times other than the garlic and chilies I don't add anything. It seems like it would be bland but the bok choy has great flavor and we like it. This can be served as a side dish. We've had it with Curry Pork Chops, with broiled or baked fish, with steak, over rice or quinoa.

Click to find more recipes here on Give Peas A Chance, or use the search function.
 Whole 30

Paleo

Primal 

Vegetarian Red Curry

I love red curry, it's probably my favorite Thai curry. This is a Whole30 compliant dish, it could be used as a side with fat built in from the coconut milk. If not on a Whole30 round I like to add medium firm tofu to this. I usually pan fry the tofu first to get it crispy, then make the curry and stir it in after. This is an easy dish to make. If you're going to be pressed for time you can even prepare all the vegetables the day before. This can be made Vegan if you use a vegan curry paste and leave out the fish sauce, subbing for salt.

I have two store bought red curry paste brands that I have used. Both are Whole30 compliant, only one is vegan. That brand is Thai Kitchen brand. The other brand of paste I use is Mae Ploy brand. Which is very yummy but it has shrimp in it. I like both brands, the Mae Ploy does have more umami flavor to it.

Creamy Swiss Chard

You should stop whatever you are doing and make this. Or at the very least put Swiss Chard on your grocery list and read on. I love this, the coconut makes the chard a bit sweet, and so creamy with a spice from the pepper flakes. I usually use ground dried Thai chili powder but red pepper flakes are great and I have used them also. I've had this for dinner, for breakfast. It's so yummy. You won't even miss the cream!

Chicken Chicharrón

I'm not sure Crispy Chicken Chips, Chicken Chicharrón is a thing, but this is good and it now is a thing right here, right now. Like bacon good to me. Maybe better because it's so crispy. They are like Chicharron/Chicharrón but different animal. It's wrong, you say? Then I don't want to be right.

Butter Croissants

I use a combination of recipes and techniques from America's Test Kitchen and King Arthur Flour sites to make my croissants. It's a long processes but it's actually methodical and relaxing in many ways. You can find the recipes online. Here are some pictures of the process to show what I do.

Instant Pot Collard Greens

It's a shame that not more people in this house like Collard Greens. Just my oldest and I really like them, my middle and youngest will eat a serving, it it's not too spicy. Other than that DH doesn't really like them. Too bad, they are good for you. I usually make up a big batch and keep a few servings in the freezer at a time. When I get the craving, want some for dinner or over cornbread I pull it out. I have used different methods to make this, they all work fine and each one is a little different. My kids really the the creole seasoning so this one is a favorite.

What about your household? What are foods you love, but don't always make often?

Sopapillas

Sopapillas

Sopapillas are a New Mexican food that is much like Fry Bread. They are hollow because they puff up when fried. Almost like a roll in other parts of the country, they are served as such. They are served with meals, sometimes they are stuffed with taco meat, beans, etc. For a sweet treat they can be drizzled with honey. You can fill them with ice cream and top with chocolate sauce.
I spell sopapilla with out the "i" after the first a, that's just how I grew up seeing it spelled. Though I have seen it spelled sopaipillas. They are not strictly New Mexican, you find them in both Mexican and Spanish cuisines. But I grew up eating them in New Mexico.

One Minute Quinoa (Pressure Cooker)

Looking to make Quinoa in your pressure cooker? This method has worked so well for me, I won't make it any other way now. I used to make my Quinoa in the rice cooker which also came out perfect, but my rice cooker has a non stick coating on the insert so I am not using it as much.
This method is simple and easy. As long as you keep the water to liquid ratio you can change out the liquid to suit your needs. Stock, water, broth, juice, tea. This does require soaking the Quinoa, but it's for only 5-10 minutes. I put the Quinoa in water then gather remaining ingredients. There's really no wait. Season it up and serve it how you like! Try my Southwest Quinoa Pilaf, or serve it with these Easy Peasy Curry Chickpeas, I'll be adapting this to Instant Pot cooking also, but believe me it's so easy.

Glazed Carrots

Glazed Carrots. There are a few recipes, well, methods for these here on Give Peas A Chance. All the methods are easy. Pick one, season with what your family likes, and DONE. The one's I'm posting today are Green Goddess Glazed. You can use a Green Goddess seasoning, like Penzey's which we really enjoy. OR if you have them, use the herbs and spices from this post HERE.

Some other ideas:

Maple and cinnamon

Dill and butter

Curry powder

Parsley

Ginger

Pumpkin Spiced

Chai Spiced

Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes. I tell you, they are so simple aren't they? There's no real recipe, it's just a method and you put whatever you want in them I say. Buffalo Chicken? Make your potatoes with blue cheese and them top with shredded chicken in buffalo sauce. Have a favorite mashed potato recipe you want to use? Use it! Bacon? Add it! Sliced jalapenos? Be still my beating heart. Whatever pretty much can work here. I mean within reason. Nothing too wet and soupy right? The filling has to stay in the potato.

Kālua Pig (Slow Cooker, Instant Pot)

Kalua Pig from the Instant Pot

I've sadly never been to Hawaii. Maybe one day. I have had pork and even beef cooked in a pit/hole in the ground though, and both are insanely delicious. So very tender, juicy, and flavorful, despite the absence of spices and herbs. Usually just salt. I remember as a child, we went to visit my cousins on their farm. One time they had a bunch of people over and they cooked a cow in the ground. IT WAS AMAZING. Just a little salt, smokey good flavor from the smoke and the earth. Perfection. I suspect Kālua Pig, or is like that, if so, this comes pretty darn close. Authentic or not this recipe is so yum. Anything wrapped in banana leaf is going to have a beautiful flavor from them also. I'll be posting a traditional Lao dish using banana leaves soon that is savory. Until then here is a sweet dessert that's wrapped in banana leaves called Khao Tom Mad.