Makes 50.
This is a Thailand meets Vietnam recipe.
Soak:
2 ounces dried wood ear fungus in hot water for 20 minutes
2 ounces glass noodles
Sauté:
1 small onion until translucent.
Add one at a time:
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces ground pork
1 cup julienne carrots
1 cup very finely chopped cabbage (napa or green)
Drained glass noodles
Drained wood ear fungus*
1 t salt
1 t sugar
The spring roll filling can be made 1-2 days in advance. Roll the spring rolls the same day that you are frying and eating them.
Take the spring roll wrappers out of the freezer at least an hour before you are ready to start rolling.
Roll:
Lay several small spring roll wrappers out on a table with a corner pointing towards you so it looks like a diamond. Spoon 1-2 T of the filling one inch above the lower corner of the wrappers. Brush egg white across the top corner of the wrapper. Fold the lower corner over the filling and shape into a cylinder approximately 1/2 inch by 2 inches and start rolling. Fold sides in, making sure you have a 90 degree angle at the bottom corners and finish rolling. See photos.
Stack with wax paper between layers.
Pour an inch of vegetable oil into a frying pan. Heat oil on medium-high. Fry 10 or so spring rolls at a time. When the bottom gets golden brown, turn over using chopsticks. Repeat on second side. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Serve with Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce, available at Asian markets.
* I buy the dried wood ear fungus at my local Asian market already thinly chopped. If you get the whole ear, you will need to chop it into very thin slices after you soak it.
Shopping list
1 package small spring roll wrappers
dried wood ear fungus
glass noodles
onion
garlic
ground pork
carrots
cabbage (napa or green)
salt
sugar
1 egg white
vegetable oil for frying
Sweet Chili Sauce (Mae Ploy)
paper towels
wax paper