Crispy Bánh Mì Spring Rolls With Creamy Chili Mayo Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated August 09, 2018
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Spring rolls are great, and I love the flavors of bánh mì, so why not stick 'em together? These rolls are stuffed with pickled carrots and daikon radish, cucumber, jalapeño, and cilantro (you can, of course, add whatever other filling you'd like. Tofu or shiitake mushrooms would be nice). The sauce is made with a mixture of homemade vegan mayonnaise and spicy chili-garlic sauce (yes, you can use Sriracha). Creamy, spicy, crispy, tangy, and a little greasy, they hit all the notes you want in a game time snack.

Recipe Details

Crispy Bánh Mì Spring Rolls With Creamy Chili Mayo Recipe

Active 90 mins
Total 0 mins
Serves 30 to 40 small spring rolls
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 1 large carrot, cut into 3-inch matchsticks 1/8 inch thick (about 2 cups)

  • 1 small daikon radish, cut into 3-inch matchsticks 1/8 inch thick (about 2 cups)

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1 tablespoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons white distilled or rice wine vinegar

  • 30 to 40 (5-inch) frozen spring roll wrappers, thawed

  • 1 large cucumber, peeled, cored, and cut into 3-inch sticks about 1/4-inch wide (30 to 40 sticks total)

  • 2 whole jalapeño peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 3-inch sticks about 1/8th inch thick (30 to 40 sticks total)

  • 1 bunch cilantro, leaves and thin stems only

For the Dipping Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup Vegan Mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce such as sambal oelek or sriracha, or more to taste

  • 1 teaspoon juice from 1 lime

  • 2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro leaves

  • 2 quarts vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Combine carrots, daikon, sugar, salt, and vinegar in a large bowl and massage with hands until vegetables are softened and salt and sugar are dissolved. Set aside for 15 minutes at room temperature.

  2. Lay one spring roll wrapper down with a corner pointed towards you. Cover remaining wrappers with plastic or a moist clean kitchen towel. Add a half dozen carrot/daikon sticks, 1 cucumber stick, 1 jalapeño stick, and a few leaves/stems of cilantro in a bundle in the lower third of the wrapper, keeping it in a nice, tight row. Roll from the bottom corner towards the top, keeping everything nice and tight. Roll until nearly half way up, then stop.

  3. The next step is to fold the left and right corners towards the center. Start by first pressing in on the edges of the filling with your fingertips to make sure it's packed nice and tight. Fold the corners towards the center, again keeping everything tight. Moistening the edges of the wrapper with a bit of water will help it stick to itself and keep its shape.You want the bottom edge to form a 90° angle with the new edge you've just created by folding over the corner.

  4. After both corners have been folded in, continue rolling towards the top of the paper. Moisten the top corner of the wrapper with a bit of water and continue rolling until the entire package is sealed. Repeat with remaining rolls until all the filling is used up. Finished rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container. If freezing, fry directly from the freezer, adding 1 minute to cook time.

  5. To Make The Sauce: Combine mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce, lime juice, and cilantro. Set aside. Sauce will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

  6. To Serve: Heat oil in a large wok or Dutch oven to 325°F as registered on an instant read thermometer. Add 10 to 15 rolls and cook, agitating occasionally with a wire mesh spider, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with spicy mayonnaise.

Notes

This recipe calls for the smaller 5- by 5-inch spring roll wrappers which can be found in the frozen section of most East Asian markets. Egg roll wrappers can be substituted. If only larger wrappers are available, make larger rolls, or cut wrappers down to size.

Special Equipment

Wok or Dutch Oven

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
54Calories
5gFat
2gCarbs
0gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30 to 40
Amount per serving
Calories54
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g6%
Saturated Fat 0g2%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 144mg6%
Total Carbohydrate 2g1%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 3mg13%
Calcium 5mg0%
Iron 0mg0%
Potassium 48mg1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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