Cha Gio - Vietnamese Spring Rolls

• 1 lb (.5 kg) lean ground pork
• 1 cup (225 ml) crab meat or chopped shrimp (optional)
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) mung bean noodles (clear noodles), soaked in warm water for 10 minutes then cut into 1 inch lengths
• 10 pieces dried Chinese mushrooms or woodears soaked in water for 10 minutes, then finely shredded
• 1 cup (225 ml) shredded carrots
• 1 cup (225 ml) cleaned, fresh bean sprouts
• White ground pepper to taste (salt optional)
• Rice paper (or eggroll wrappers if you must)
• 2 egg whites
• 5 cups (1175 ml) vegetable oil
• 2 fresh red-hot chiles
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) fish sauce
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) lime juice
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) water

1. Drain the noodles and mushrooms and mix with all the filling ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Dip rice paper in warm water, and place on a kitchen towel.
3. Add one tbsp filling on rice paper, roll up one turn, fold in outside edges, and continue roll up completely.
4. Rolls should be about the size of a large thumb.
5. Brush edges with egg white to seal well.
6. Complete all rolls this way.
7. Heat oil to 325 degrees (175 C.).
8. Drop spring rolls in one by one (don't crowd them).
9. Cook slowly while turning until golden brown on all sides.
10. Drain on paper towels.
11. Put all the ingredients in a blender.
12. Blend for one second.
13. Pour into serving sauce bowl.
14. Assemble Boston lettuce, fresh mint, corriander leaves, sliced cucumber, pickled carrot on bamboo basket or platter.
15. Arrange spring rolls on the basket and serve.
16. Spring rolls should be eaten wrapped in lettuce leaf with the mint, corriander, cucumber, and pickled carrots.
17. Dip in Nuoc Cham.

lean ground pork, crab meat, yellow onion, bean noodles, chinese mushrooms, carrots, fresh bean sprouts, white ground pepper, rice paper, egg whites, vegetable oil, fresh redhot chiles, clove garlic, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, water

Taken from online-cookbook.com/goto/cook/rpage/000076 (may not work)