Vietnamese Chicken Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 100 g glass noodles (soaked in warm water)
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger (finely grated or minced)
• 2 carrots (finely julienned or grated)
• 500 g ground chicken (minced chicken)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes (crumbled)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 2 leeks (finely sliced)
• 2 tbsp ketjap manis (sweet soy sauce, plus more to taste)
• 125 g bean sprouts (mung bean sprouts)
• 1 tbsp soy sauce (to taste)
• 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce (to taste)
• 20 spring roll wrappers (thawed in the package)
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (mixed with water to create a paste)
• vegetable oil (for frying)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the glass noodles in warm water until softened. Once soft, remove them from the water, squeeze out the excess moisture, and cut them into coarse pieces.

2. 2

   Heat a small amount of oil in a large pan or wok. Sauté the minced ginger until fragrant.

3. 3

   Add the julienned carrots to the pan and fry for a few minutes until they begin to soften.

4. 4

   Add the ground chicken to the pan. Season with crumbled bouillon cubes and black pepper. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until the chicken is browned and cooked through.

5. 5

   Stir in the sliced leeks and a generous splash of ketjap manis. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

6. 6

   Add the prepared glass noodles and bean sprouts to the pan. Toss everything together well.

7. 7

   Taste the filling and adjust the seasoning by adding soy sauce, more ketjap, and sweet chili sauce as desired. Remove from heat and let the filling cool slightly.

8. 8

   Prepare a 'glue' by mixing a little flour with water until it forms a thick paste.

9. 9

   Carefully peel a spring roll wrapper from the stack. Place about two tablespoons of the filling onto the wrapper. Fold and roll the wrapper tightly, sealing the edges with the flour-water paste.

10. 10

    Keep both the unused wrappers and the finished spring rolls covered with a damp tea towel to prevent them from drying out and cracking.

11. 11

    Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan or deep fryer. Fry the spring rolls in batches until they are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Notes

Thaw the spring roll wrappers inside their packaging to prevent them from tearing. This recipe is excellent for batch cooking; you can freeze the spring rolls before frying for a quick snack later.

Nutrition per serving

• appetizer
• snack
• fried
• chicken
• Vietnamese
• party food
• freezer-friendly