Cha Gio Chay (Vegetarian Spring Rolls)

You haven’t had a Vegetarian Spring Roll until you’ve tried our homemade Cha Gio Chay! They’re wrapped using fresh ingredients including taro and cabbage for a deliciously nutty and sweet filling that you won’t find in stores. They freeze exceptionally well, so make it in bulk for those weekday or weekend cravings!

The perfect party appetizer

If you grew up in a Vietnamese household and your family ever threw any parties, chances are you’ve had to take part in what I like to call ‘the spring roll circle’.

I remember being tasked with peeling apart each wrapper while the Mums and Grandmas sat around the table rolling their Cha Gio.

These memories are so vivid because it was a time when little ol’ me witnessed all the women of each family laughing and chatting away like there wasn’t a care in the world.

It was moments like those that made me grow up believing in the magic of cooking. Whether it’s a joint effort making a huge pot of Hủ Tiếu Nam Vang or preparing all the fresh herbs for Gỏi Cuốn, food brings everyone together in ways that nothing else can.

And when that food is Cha Gio Chay, you have every reason to be excited. Once they come out of the fryer, that golden skin is shatteringly crisp.

With our homemade version, the filling is lightly seasoned so you can appreciate the deeply nutty flavors singing from the taro.

But the best part is enjoying it with Bún Thịt Nướng (or its vegetarian equivalent) with all your family and friends gathered around the table!

Deep fry VS shallow fry

This is one of those dilemmas that gets both my parents on opposite sides. Mum’s a firm believer in shallow frying while Dad prefers the traditional deep frying method. Here are their arguments:

Shallow fry

With this method, the oil comes to about halfway up the depth of the food being cooked. The food itself is still touching the base of the pan or wok.

• Mum says by doing this, you can control the evenness of the cooking. To her, you can rotate it to ensure an even golden color on all parts of the spring roll.
• The technique is often used to sear and brown the outside for a crispy exterior, much like our Bánh Khọt (Vietnamese Mini Savory Pancakes).

Deep fry

Using this method means there is enough oil that the food is floating as it cooks. You will often need a deep pan or wok to hold everything.

• Dad loves this tried and true cooking technique that is used for any kind of fried food, including our Chao Tom (Sugar Cane Shrimp) and Salted Egg Yolk Prawns (牛油黃金虾).
• The great thing about deep frying is that you can create a crispy exterior while keeping the moisture locked in the filling.

Both methods will yield a delicious spring roll that’s perfect for having with fresh salad and dipped in Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Mắm)!

Why this recipe works

• Using a variety of vegetables means you have incredible texture and flavors.
• Premade spring roll wrappers keeps this recipe fuss-free.
• Thin strips of taro gives the spring roll a delicious nutty and creamy taste.
• Potato starch helps to thicken any moisture, which prevents the wrapper from breaking.

What you’ll need

For the rolls

About the ingredients

All the ingredients can be substituted for your favorites, so long as they’re all cut into thin strips. Other options include steamed mung beans, onions, corn, tofu and spring onions.

The wrappers can be found in smaller squares or larger ones, so it will depend on the size that you’re after.

For the seasoning

About the seasoning

Our family has kept the seasoning simple and minimal, but some vegetarian spring roll recipes also use vegetarian fish sauce for that extra flavor. If you’d like to use that, you can find them in Asian supermarkets or specialty Asian vegetarian shops.

How to make this recipe

Making the filling

Julienne the carrots, taro, cabbage and jicama, then put into a large mixing bowl.

Squeeze the water out of the green bean threads, woodear mushrooms and sliced shiitake mushrooms before adding it into the bowl along with the pepper, salt, sugar and vegetable stock powder.

Mix all the ingredients together before adding 2 tbsp oil and 2 tbsp potato starch and stirring it in.

How to roll a spring roll

On a plate, lay the spring roll wrapper in a diamond shape and place roughly 1 tbsp filling in the middle, closer to the bottom.

Note: If you’re using larger wraps, add more filling to preference.

Bring the bottom corner up and wrap it tightly over the filling. To tighten it even more, pull the wrapped filling toward you.

Fold both the left and right sides in until it reaches the filling on either side.

Tightly roll upward.

Mix the potato starch and water for the starch slurry until well combined and wet your finger with it, then wet the top wrapper corner with some.

Roll the Cha Gio Chay all the way until completely sealed.

Frying the spring rolls

Bring a wok or pan of oil to medium heat (just enough for wooden chopsticks to start bubbling when placed in the oil) and gently lower each spring roll in, cooking a few at a time.

Let them cook for roughly 3-4 minutes each or until golden all around, placing each cooked one on a plate lined with paper towels or in a metal colander.

Serve fresh as is!

Recipe FAQs

Tips for the crispiest results

• Use ingredients with less moisture. This will prevent the Cha Gio Chay wrapper from getting soggy and breaking when frying.
• Freeze them before frying. Even just 15 minutes in the freezer will help them keep their shape, which means they won’t burst open as you fry.
• Double fry. Just as we suggest with our Crispy Rainbow Beef (牛柳丝) and Salted Egg Yolk Prawns (牛油黃金虾), frying it a second time will ensure extra crisp.

Enjoy more party-worthy apptizers!

• Nem Nướng (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Skewers) - Sweet and savory pork skewers are a classic BBQ snack that kids love.
• Cánh Gà Chiên Nước Mắm (Fish Sauce Chicken Wings) - You’ll find these crispy finger lickin’ wings so good that you’ll want to make them over and over again.
• Vietnamese Stuffed Chicken Wings - Worth every effort, biting into chicken that’s stuffed with pork is an experience to enjoy.
• Ham Sui Gok (Fried Glutinous Rice Dumplings 咸水角) - A signature yum cha dish, these delectable starters are stuffed with a humble mince filling.
• Seafood Rolls - Restaurant-quality bites that are incredibly juicy and everyone will love them!

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