Japanese-Vietnamese Fusion Spring Rolls: Crispy Delight with a Flavorful Twist!
I grew up in Japan but, during my 22 years of living in the United States, I’ve met people from various countries and learned about various cuisines. I have a friendly Vietnamese family in my neighborhood, and the wife there has treated me to a variety of Vietnamese dishes, making me a big fan of Vietnamese cuisine. With that background, I often enjoy creating dishes that combine various international cuisines with Japanese food.
This time, I’m sharing a recipe that combines spring rolls with a sauce commonly used in Vietnamese cuisine. I made the spring rolls crispy without using oil by using an air fryer. I use an oven-style air, but you can achieve the same results with a drawer-type air fryer. The ingredients in the spring rolls are already flavorful, but when you dip them in this Vietnamese-style sauce, the deliciousness is further enhanced. Kids will enjoy these healthy spring rolls, and I encourage you to give them a try.
I’m using ground turkey for the filling, but you can use pork or beef mince according to your preference. Additionally, you can get creative with the vegetables, using shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, scallions, cabbage, or your favorite veggies. Bamboo shoots add a delightful crunch, so I recommend including them, but if they’re hard to find, you can leave them out.
The sauce for spring roll filling ingredients:
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Sake
- 1 tbsp Hoissin or Oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Chicken Bouillon
- 1 tsp Sesami Oil
- 1 tbsp Grated Ginger
Spring roll ingredients:
- Spring Roll Shells
- 50-60g Vermicelli Noodle
- 1 Carrot
- 1 can of bamboo shoots
- Your choice of Mushrooms
- 1lb/567g Ground Turkey
Ingredients for dipping sauce:
- 200 Hot Water
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- 1 tsp Vinegar
- 2 cloves of Garlic
Directions on how to roll the spring roll.
Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients for the spring roll filling in a cup to make the filling sauce.
Place the vermicelli noodles in a microwave-safe bowl, add enough water to cover the noodles, and microwave until the noodles become soft (about 3-4 minutes). Once done, drain the water, add a pinch of salt and a bit of sesame oil, and mix well (this helps the noodles absorb the flavors).
Cut the carrots and mushrooms. Rinse the bamboo shoots if using canned ones.
Heat oil in a frying pan, add the carrots, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, sauté briefly, then add the ground meat. Sauté until the meat is slightly cooked. Add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and the dipping sauce, and continue cooking until the meat is fully cooked.
Combine the cooked vermicelli noodles (from step 2) with the mixture in the frying pan (step 4). Cook until the liquid has evaporated, then remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
Take one spring roll wrapper and place it on a flat surface with one corner facing you (refer to Figure 1).
Fold the corner closest to you over the filling, then fold in the sides.Roll it up tightly and tuck the corner under the ingredients. (refer to Figure 2)
If you want to freeze a batch, place the spring rolls on a flat, rigid surface, cover, and put them in the freezer. Once they’re frozen solid, you can transfer them to a bag for long-term storage.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F with the seam side down. Air fry for 10 minutes, then flip them over and air fry for another 4-5 minutes or until they’re golden brown.
Mix the ingredients for the spring roll sauce and, optionally, add grated carrots or sliced onions for extra flavor. The sauce can be refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.
Enjoy your delicious spring rolls!
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