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Nem Cua Be Recipe

Nem Cua Bể Recipe (Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls)

Come with me and explore the Vietnamese crab spring rolls (nem cua bể) recipe, a marvel with crabmeat and other ingredients.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: nem cua be, Vietnamese Crab Spring Rolls
Level of Difficulty: Medium
Dietary Preference: Dairy-Free, Gluten-free
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4
Calories: 603kcal

Equipment

  • Air Fryer
  • Non-stick frying pan
  • Steamer
  • Tongs
  • Basting Brush
  • Knife
  • Chopping Board
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Food Prep Gloves

Ingredients

For the crab spring rolls

  • 8.8 ounces crab meat
  • 1.1 pounds shrimp
  • 1 medium-sized yam bean
  • 1 medium-sized carrot
  • 1 medium-sized daikon
  • 50 bean sprouts
  • 1 medium-sized onion
  • 1.1 pounds minced meat
  • 1 ounce 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 vinegar + warm water

For the dipping sauce:

  • 2.5 ounces fish sauce
  • 3.4 ounces 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 vermicelli rice noodles
US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

  • Rinse all vegetables and let them drain.
    Remove shrimps’ heads and guts. Clean the crabs.
    Nem Cua Be Step 1 Prepare Ingredients 1
  • Steam shrimp with scallions for 5 minutes. Then, steam the crab for 10 minutes.
    Nem Cua Be Step 1 Prepare Ingredients 2
  • Let them cool, and remove the meat.
    Nem Cua Be Step 1 Prepare Ingredients 3
  • Slice carrots, kohlrabis, and daikon and pickle them with sugar.
    Nem Cua Be Step 1 Prepare Ingredients 4
  • Peel and slice your yam bean, carrot, and daikon. Chop bean sprouts and onions into small pieces.
    Nem Cua Be Step 1 Prepare Ingredients 5
  • 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.
    Nem Cua Be Step 2 Prepare The Filling
  • 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.
    Nem Cua Be Step 3 Wrap 1
  • Wrap the spring roll with another rice paper in the same way. Continue wrapping until you run out of ingredients.
    Nem Cua Be Step 3 Wrap 2

Fry In Oil

  • Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the crab spring rolls until golden brown on all sides.
    Nem Cua Be Step 4 Fry 1
  • Move them onto oil-absorbing paper.
    Nem Cua Be Step 4 Fry 2

Air-fry

  • Preheat your air-fryer to 400°F (200°C) and brush oil on the baking tray.
    Preheat The Air Fryer
  • Place the crab spring rolls in and brush another oil layer on their surface.
    Nem Cua Be Step 4 Fry 3
  • 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.
    Nem Cua Be Step 5 Prepare Pickles

For The Dipping Sauce

  • Combine hot water with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and minced chili pepper.
    Nem Cua Be Step 5 Prepare Sauce
  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 603kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 357mg | Sodium: 808mg | Potassium: 1125mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 2776IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 4mg