Cambodian-Style Spring Rolls

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Cambodian-Style Spring Rolls (Photo by pengrin/flickr)

Makes about 20.

Ingredients

250 g/8 oz finely minced pork
250 g/8 oz fresh mung bean sprouts
1 cup soaked bean thread vermicelli
6 dried Chinese mushrooms
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 packet frozen spring roll pastry
oil for deep frying

Sauce

2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 hot red chilli, seeded and chopped
5 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 tablespoons roasted crushed peanuts

Directions

Put the pork and the washed, drained bean sprouts into a bowl. Cut
soaked vermicelli into 5 cm (2 in) lengths. Soak dried mushrooms in hot
water for 25 minutes, discard stems and slice caps finely. Combine all
these ingredients with the onion, sugar, soy sauce and fish sauce,
mixing thoroughly.

If using small sheets, 125 mm (5 in) square, use one sheet per roll. If
using large sheets 250 mm (10 in) square, cut in half. Take 2 teaspoons
of the mixture and shape into a neat roll. Place at one end of the
pastry square and roll up, turning ends in so the filling is completely
enclosed. Deep fry in hot oil over medium heat, cooking the rolls for
at least 2 minutes on each side so the filling is thoroughly cooked.
Drain on paper towels and serve warm, accompanied by the dipping sauce.

Sauce: Crush the garlic with some of the sugar. Combine with the chilli
and fish sauce, leave for 10 minutes. Add the boiling water, lemon
juice and vinegar and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes for flavours
to mellow. Stir in the peanuts just before serving.

Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)