Pan-fried prawn and pork parcels

This is a dish from the northern part of Vietnam known as cha lui lai. It's basically a flat spring roll in the shape of a rectangle that is pan-seared instead of deep-fried.

• serves

  2

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

It is light, fresh and has great texture. It should be eaten wrapped in mustard leaves, fresh mint and green mango. 

Ingredients

• 200 g Iberico pork neck, finely sliced
• 6 medium tiger prawns, peeled and deveined
• 2 tbsp mung beans, soaked in water overnight
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable oil
• ½ cup shredded carrot
• ½ cup shredded daikon
• Generous pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 round rice paper sheets
• 125 ml (½ cup) coconut water 

Marinade

• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lemongrass stalk, white part only, diced
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1 red Asian shallot, diced
• 1 tsp 5 spice powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• Generous pinch of salt and pepper 

Accompaniments

• 6 mustard lettuce leaves
• 12 perilla leaves
• ½ green mango, julienned
• 12 mint leaves
• 1 cup cooked vermicelli noodles
• ½ cup nuoc cham, for dipping

Marinading time: 30 minutes

Standing time: 10 minutes

Instructions

To make the marinade, place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine well. 

Place the pork and prawns into 2 separate mixing bowls. Divide the marinade between the bowls, stir to combine well, then stand for 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, drain the soaked mung beans. Line a metal or bamboo steamer with baking paper and punch a few small holes in the paper. Place the mung beans in the steamer and cover with the lid. Set the steamer over a wok or saucepan of rapidly boiling water and steam the beans for 15 minutes or until soft. Remove and set aside.

Place 2 heavy-based frying pans over medium-high heat. Pour 1 tablespoon oil into each pan. Stir-fry the pork in one pan for 3 minutes or until just cooked through and cook the prawns in the other pan for 1 minute on each side. Remove both from the pan and cut into small pieces.

Place a wok over high heat and add a drizzle of oil. Stir-fry the carrot and daikon for 2 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Remove from the wok and set aside. 

Lay the rice paper rounds on a work surface, then brush each sheet with the coconut water, making it moist. Add a spoonful of the carrot and daikon mix, followed by the steamed mung beans, prawn and pork. Fold the sides up and over the filling, then fold the top and bottom sides over to enclose the filling completely and making a rectangle-like parcel. Allow the parcels to air-dry for 10 minutes. 

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil, then pan-fry the rice paper parcels for 3-4 minutes on each side or until crisp and brown. Drain on paper towel. 

Arrange the accompaniments on a large platter, then add the fried rice paper parcels and serve with nuoc cham dipping sauce.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

It is light, fresh and has great texture. It should be eaten wrapped in mustard leaves, fresh mint and green mango.