Ma's Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

I managed to get my mom's recipe for cha gio after grilling her with questions since no Vietnamese mom I know even uses measuring cups or spoons. I tried to get her to be as specific as possible, but it was like asking the sky to be green. I know I could have googled another recipe, but I was only interested in making egg rolls that tasted just like my mom's! My mom is such a good cook that the thought of her food makes my mouth water. My husband is already addicted to her cooking and always asks what she's going to cook before we go visit.

My first attempt came out really well. I've always had the job of rolling egg rolls when my mom was making them, but I never realized how much work it was to prepare the filling. It's all of the chopping and mixing that is so time consuming. Hopefully I'll have children one day so I can get some free labor. Here's the recipe I used.

Ma's Cha Gio

1 lb ground pork
1/2 lb shrimp (shelled, deveined, and chopped)
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 of a small jicama root
1 cup of Black Fungus rehydrated and chopped
1 cup of bean thread; rehydrated and cut (vermicelli)
3 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp pepper
a dash of salt
1 package of spring roll wrappers

Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl.

Now, roll your cha gio! I start by placing about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the middle of my wrapper. 

Next, fold the bottom corner up. 

Now, fold the sides in. 

Then, starting from the bottom, roll your way up. 

I fried mine in about 2 inches of oil in a 2 quart sauce pan. Fry them until they're golden brown. Remove from pan and let drain on paper towels. 

Here's what the finished product looks like. 

I always love to eat mine with rice noodles, lettuce, and fish sauce. I forgot to snap a picture with the salad greens, but that's usually how we eat it. 

Voila! 

I hope everyone's weekends are going well. I'm exhausted now, but I'll be back with some new posts later. 

xoxo!