Bo Bia (Rice Paper Rolls with Chinese Sausage and Eggs)
If you've never tried Bo Bia, the warm, comforting cousin of Vietnamese rice paper rolls, get ready to be swept off your feet. They're light and incredibly satisfying!
Prep Time1 hour hr
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Wrap Time1 hour hr
Total Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
Servings: 30 Rolls
Calories: 86kcal
Ingredients To Be Cooked
- 80 g / 0.2 lb rehydrated shrimp
- 7 Chinese sausages
- 5 eggs
- 4 carrots
- 1 kg / 2.2 lb jicama
- salt (see instructions)
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- cooking oil (see instructions)
- water (for boiling)
- rice paper
The Herbs
- perilla
- mint
- Vietnamese coriander
The Filling
Wash and peel the skin off the carrots and jicama. Then julienne each into thin strips or use a knife to cut them into 3mm (0.1") thick sticks.
Stir fry the carrots and jicama on a high heat with 2 tbsp oil and 1/2 tsp salt or to taste.
Beat the eggs with 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder and 1/4 tsp salt in a bowl until combined.
Heat up the pan on a low-medium heat with 1 tbsp oil and pour in enough egg to form a thin crepe. Cook for 2 minutes or until no longer runny.Tip: Use a flat round pan to keep the shape of each egg crepe consistent. Use chopsticks or a flat utensil to roll the egg into a long log.
Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the mixture is finished.
Keep the eggs in their log fold and slice them into thin strips, roughly 3mm (0.1") wide.
Boil the Chinese sausages for 5 minutes in water then drain and pan fry for 3 minutes or until the fat pockets are translucent. Slice each sausage thinly.
Add 1 tbsp oil to a pan heated to medium heat then fry the shrimp with the sugar for 3 minutes.
How to wrap the rolls
Set up your rolling station: 1 large bowl of hot water, 2 plates bigger than the rice paper, each of the filling and herbs in bowls and a packet of rice paper.
Quickly dip the rice paper in the hot water and rotate it until all sides are wet then lay it flat on a plate to soften. Repeat with a second rice paper on the second plate to give it time to soften.
Lay the herbs on the softened wrapping along with the dried shrimp, Chinese sausages and stir fried vegetables on top.
Bring the wrap up to cover the entire filling.
Fold the left and right sides in until there is no gap between the wrap and the filling.
As tightly as you can, roll from the bottom up until it forms a log.
Serve fresh with hoisin sauce!
- Don't go overboard with the filling! Especially since these are typically smaller rolls, make sure to wrap less to avoid any bursting.
- Cook the vegetables until they are just cooked. These rolls are delicious for their simplicity, which means texture plays a huge part in how it is enjoyed. Overcooking the carrots and jicama will take away its satisfying crunch.
- Pan fry the shrimp LAST. The shrimp can get hard if left out for too long to cool, so cook it after all the other ingredients to ensure it stays soft.
- Make them as you eat. It's no secret that the best foods are loved fresh. Rolls are no different, especially when leaving them out for too long will make them dry again!
- If you prefer to add more carrots, go for it. If sweet jicama is what you're after, add more! Just make sure to accomodate your choices with enough wrapping.
- We use Vietnamese corinander, mint and perilla, but you can use any herbs that you prefer.
Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 261mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1412IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg