Make the sauce: Heat the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chiles and garlic in a small saucepan over medium, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and divide the sauce among small sauce dishes or bowls. (The chiles and garlic are not meant to be eaten, but impart their flavor to the sauce.)

Prepare the dumplings: Toss the cabbage and shallots with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander and set in the sink to drain for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the basil, then very finely chop the garlic and chile (seeded if desired, for mild heat). Combine in a large bowl and add the chicken, fish sauce, sugar, cornstarch, black pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

Using your hand, squeeze the cabbage mixture in the colander to remove as much liquid as possible. Add to the bowl with the chicken, then mix all the ingredients with your hand until very well blended.

Set up an assembly line: Fill a large, wide bowl or pie plate with room-temperature water and place it next to the package of rice paper wrappers. Set a cutting board and sharp kitchen scissors next to that, then place the bowl of filling, a spoon and a sheet pan lined with parchment paper next to that. Set a paper towel-lined rack next to the stove.

Dip a rice paper wrapper in the water to evenly wet it; it should be barely pliable. Use the scissors to cut it in quarters and space each quarter apart on the cutting board. Put a rounded tablespoon of filling in the center of each quarter and pat the filling into a 1 ½-inch round (scant ½ inch tall). Pull the sides of the wrapper over the filling to encase it completely, overlapping the wrapper on top. It’s OK if a wrapper completely sticks to itself or tears apart and you have to throw it away; that’s why you have extras. Place the wrapped dumplings on the prepared sheet pan, spacing an inch apart. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.

Pan-fry in batches: Heat a large nonstick or very well seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add enough oil to coat the bottom to an ⅛-inch depth. When it shimmers and slides, carefully add some of the dumplings, spacing them an inch apart. Don’t crowd the pan. Cook until the bottoms are browned, 2 to 3 minutes, then flip carefully and cook until the other sides are opaque, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer to the paper towel-lined rack. Repeat with the remaining dumplings, wiping out the skillet and replacing and reheating the oil as needed. Lower the heat if the wrappers brown too quickly; some wrappers may not brown.

Serve hot or warm with the dipping sauce. Rice wrappers are quite sticky, so space the dumplings apart on the serving plate.