Vietnamese crab spring rolls, or Nem Cua Be, embody the essence of Vietnamese cuisine. What if I told you could recreate this delightful dish in your kitchen?
I promise to guide you in this article, from the definition to the necessary tools and ingredients. Along the way are detailed instructions and valuable tips to perfect this delicacy.
And the fun doesn’t stop there! I even include the ideal companions to serve with Nem Cua Be and other Vietnamese dishes pairing well with the Vietnamese dipping sauce. So, let’s start going through this exciting culinary journey.
What Is Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls (Nem Cua Bể)?
Vietnamese crab spring rolls, also known as Nem Cua Be, is a popular dish from Hai Phong, a Northern coastal city. Hai Phong is well-known for fresh seafood, particularly crab, and this specialty is one of the most well-loved seafood dishes in the local area.
Nem Cua Be is different from other Vietnamese spring rolls as it contains crab meat in the filling. Moreover, it has a square shape, unlike the regular tube shape.
Nem Cua Be often attends special occasions and family gatherings at the dining table. It’s a special treat for the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tet) and wedding celebrations. These crab spring rolls reflect the diverse seafood in Hai Phong.
Which Tools Are Necessary For Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls (Nem Cua Bể)?
These Vietnamese crab spring rolls require many tools, such as a frying pan or air fryer. Here, I’ve already listed all the required tools to make your cooking process easier:
Which Ingredients Do Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls (Nem Cua Bể) Contain?
Take your time with this list! I promise that all the names here have their use. So, the list below contains all ingredients in Vietnamese crab spring rolls.
For The Spring Rolls:
For The Accompaniments:
How To Make Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls (Nem Cua Bể)?
Making Vietnamese crab spring rolls consists of 6 main steps, including preparing the ingredints (for filling), wrapping, frying the rolls, preparin pickles and dipping sauce, then present the dish on plate. I’ve described the process in detail, so you can easily replicate it.
Step 1: Prepare The Ingredients
Clean all vegetables under water and let them drain.
Prepare shrimps by removing their heads and guts. This is the quickest way to clean shrimp for you to follow.
Follow this simple guide to clean your crab. The process is easy to follow, making your crab spring rolls taste better.
Steam shrimp with scallions for 5 minutes. Then, steam the crab for 10 minutes.
Afterward, let these two ingredients cool and remove their meat from the shell.
Slice carrots, kohlrabis, and daikon. Pickle these ingredients with 2 teaspoons of sugar to create the necessary crunchiness for the pickles.
Next, peel and slice yam beans, carrots, and daikon. Chop bean sprouts and onions.
Step 2: Prepare The Filling
Mix minced meat with yam beans, carrots, daikon, onions, and scallions. Season the mixture with sugar, pepper, soup powder, and red pepper chili. Mix these ingredients together.
Add a chicken egg and mix again.
Step 3: Wrap The Spring Rolls
Arrange the filling mixture, shrimp, crab, and rice paper near each other to make this step easier.
Place a shrimp and some crab meat on the rice paper. Scoop a portion of the filling over them. Fold the right and left edges into the center.
Use a basting brush to brush water on the top and bottom edges. Then, fold these 2 sides like above. The water will help these edges stick together.
Wrap the entire spring roll with another rice paper in the same way, so it can keep its shape better when cooking.
Keep wrapping until you run out of the filling.
Step 4: Fry The Spring Rolls
Deep-frying In Oil:
Fill your pan with oil and make sure the amount is enough to cover the spring roll.
Place the spring rolls in the pan when the oil is hot enough. Only fry a few at a time, or these crab spring rolls can stick together and tear apart.
Turn the spring rolls so they’re fried evenly. When cooked, transfer them to oil-absorbing cooking paper.
Using An Air-fryer:
Preheat your air-fryer to 400°F (200°C).
Brush an oil layer on the baking tray. Place the crab spring rolls on the tray and brush another oil layer on their surface.
Fry these rolls at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes. Flip them halfway through the frying.
Step 5: Prepare The Pickles And Dipping Sauce
For The Pickles:
Drain carrots, kohlrabis, and daikon of the sugar water. Rinse them with water.
Add vinegar and warm water to these pickles. Cover your hands with plastic gloves and mix them well.
For The Dipping Sauce:
Mix fish sauce with hot water and sugar. Then, add garlic, minced chili pepper, and lime juice. Adjust the ingredient ratio to your liking.
Step 6: Present The Dish
Place the fried crab spring rolls on a plate. Serve them with vegetables, vermicelli rice noodles, pickles, and dipping sauce.
Dip the spring rolls into the dipping sauce and eat with all these side dishes. You can also pour some dipping sauce onto the rice noodles for more flavor.
What Tips To Elevate Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls (Nem Cua Bể)?
I’ve prepared several tips to elevate Vietnamese crab spring rolls. Every step needs some caution, so pay attention to all details when reading:
What To Serve With Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls (Nem Cua Bể)?
Aside from Vietnamese dipping sauce and pickled carrots and daikon, Vietnamese cuisine still has many dishes to go with Vietnamese crab spring rolls. Let’s see what they are:
Are There Other Vietnamese Dishes Served With Vietnamese Dipping Sauce?
Absolutely yes! The Vietnamese dipping sauce has accompanied thousands of local dishes. And below are different Vietnamese dishes paired with this sauce:
Try Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls (Nem Cua Bể) At Your Next Party
During my culinary trip, Vietnamese crab spring rolls (Nem Cua Be) are a culinary masterpiece I still remember today. With every bite, this disk will take you to the bustling coastal city of Hai Phong, with its unique textures and flavors.
If you love Nem Cua Be, let’s whip up a batch now! And once you’ve tasted it, spread your love by sharing this article with your fellows. And remember to like this article and comment about your own experience.
Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls (Nem Cua Bể)
Ingredients
For the crab spring rolls
- 8.8 ounces 250 grams of crab meat
- 1.1 pounds 500 grams of shrimp
- 1 medium-sized yam bean
- 1 medium-sized carrot
- 1 medium-sized daikon
- 50 bean sprouts
- 1 medium-sized onion
- 1.1 pounds 500 grams of minced meat
- 1 ounce 15 grams of scallion
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon soup powder
- 1 chicken egg
- Soft rice paper
- Vegetable oil
- Wood-ear mushroom, shiitake mushroom, button mushroom, etc. (optional)
For pickles
- 1 medium-sized daikon
- 1 medium-sized carrot
- 1 medium-sized kohlrabi
- 2.5 ounces 75ml vinegar + warm water
For the dipping sauce:
- 2.5 ounces 75ml of fish sauce
- 3.4 ounces 100ml of hot water
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- Lime juice, garlic, minced chili pepper (to taste)
Other accompaniments
- Vegetables: Lettuce, beefsteak plant, Thai basil, and peppermint
- 1.1 pounds 500 grams of vermicelli rice noodles
Instructions
- Rinse all vegetables and let them drain.
- Remove shrimps’ heads and guts. Clean the crabs.
- Steam shrimp with scallions for 5 minutes. Then, steam the crab for 10 minutes.
- Let them cool, and remove the meat.
- Slice carrots, kohlrabis, and daikon and pickle them with sugar.
- Peel and slice your yam bean, carrot, and daikon. Chop bean sprouts and onions into small pieces.
- Mix minced meat with the vegetables in step 6 and scallions. Season it with pepper, red chili powder, sugar, and soup powder. Mix them together.
- Add an egg and mix until well combined.
- Place a shrimp, some crab meat, and a spoonful of the meat mixture onto a rice paper. Fold 4 sides into the center. Brush water on the top and bottom edges to keep these edges stuck together.
- Wrap the spring roll with another rice paper in the same way.
- Continue wrapping until you run out of ingredients.
Fry In Oil:
- Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the crab spring rolls until golden brown on all sides.
- Move them onto oil-absorbing paper.
Air-fry:
- Preheat your air-fryer to 400°F (200°C) and brush oil on the baking tray.
- Place the crab spring rolls in and brush another oil layer on their surface.
- Fry them at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes. Flip when halfway through.
For The Pickles:
- Pour vinegar and warm water on the carrot, kohlrabi, and daikon. Mix them well.
For The Dipping Sauce:
- Combine hot water with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and minced chili pepper.
- Serve fried crab spring rolls with vermicelli rice noodles, pickles, vegetables, and dipping sauce.
Video
Notes
- The total above is only a suggestion based on 4 servings.
- Feel free to adjust the seasonings to meet your palates.
- To increase the portion, use more minced meat.
- Steamed shrimp and crab taste sweeter, so don’t skip the steaming step.
- You can use hard rice paper. Remember to brush some water or beer on the surface to make it softer and easier to wrap. Don’t use too much water, or it’ll be soggy.
- Wrapping another rice paper on the outside ensures your crab spring rolls won’t burst during cooking.
- When frying, if your pan is too small, fry these crab spring rolls in batches. Cooking too many at once can break their wrapping.
Richie
Content Writer
Expertise
Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Food Styling, Food Photography, Cooking-video Maker, Beverage Evaluation Expert
Education
Saigon Culinary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Vietnam Australia Vocational School (VAAC), Hanoi, Vietnam
Richie, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a dynamic Content Writer with a talent for capturing the essence of culinary art.
Richie specializes in creating visually appealing and tasty content, offering a new angle on Vietnamese and other culinary traditions. With a background in graphic design and a love for food styling and photography, he expertly combines beauty with food narratives, encouraging his audience to discover the culinary world through his imaginative perspective.