Craving spring rolls. Since my last vegetable spring rolls that I baked turned out good, today I am going to put on the armour of God and be courageous to fry the spring rolls and make my friend happy, for she gave me her spring roll recipe. Mine is vegetables while hers has minced pork and vermicelli. That’s me; I love to change the ingredients and method to call it my own.

Google: “Vegetable spring rolls are a healthy dish made with fresh or cooked vegetables and herbs wrapped in rice paper or wheat flour, offering fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Common ingredients include carrots, cabbage, and cucumbers, with herbs for flavour. They can be served fresh or fried and are usually enjoyed as appetizers with dipping sauce. These rolls are customizable, hydrating, and suitable for lunches or travel. Healthier cooking methods include oven-baking or air-frying instead of deep-frying.”

Thank you, God, for helping me fry spring rolls, which turned out better than baking. My first attempt resulted in some burnt rolls because I forgot about the minced pork in my friend’s recipe, but I’m eager to learn and perfect my frying technique. They’re a tasty snack with sweet chili sauce. Let’s be brave and fry!

Ingredients

1 packet spring rolls wrappers, 50 sheets
1 large carrot, shredded
8-10 napa leaves, shredded
6 shiitake mushrooms, soaked till softened, reserve water and shredded
2 small spring onions – white part, shredded
80g canned water chestnuts, shredded
2 Tbs light soy sauce
1 Tbs cornflour mixed with 1 Tbs water
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs Shoa Xing wine
2 Tsp sesame oil
2 Tsp ginger powder
1 Tsp Chinese five spice powder
1/2 Tsp sugar
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
oil, extra for frying

To wrap the spring roll

1 Tbs cornflour mixed with 2 Tbs water

Sweet chili sauce 

50 g sugar
9 Tbs water
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tsp chili flakes
4 Tbs lemon juice
6 Tbs fish sauce
1/2 Tsp salt, extra to taste
1 clove garlic, grated
1 bird eye chili, finely cut (OPT)

Method

Two days in advance

Using food processor with shredder blade, shred all the vegetables. Heat 2 Tbs oil on high heat, add garlic and ginger powder cook for about 25 seconds, then add mushrooms and carrots. Cook for 30 seconds, and add napa cabbage, and Shao Xing wine. Continue tossing for a minute. Lower heat to medium, to simmer the mixture, as napa cabbage will release a lot of moisture. Now add in chestnuts.

Next add in soy sauce, sesame oil, Chinese five spice powder, salt, white pepper, and sugar. At this time, check the seasoning and then add about 1/8 cup of water use to soak mushrooms. My friend say it will boost the flavour and simmer a bit longer to reduce the additional liquid about 4-5 minutes, until the napa cabbage is completely wilted. Then stir in cornflour mixture to thicken. When it’s not too liquid and all vegetables are cooked. Remove to a metal bowl and let cool. Place into the fridge to cool further for about 1 hour. My friend told me best to start with a cold filling for easier wrapping. The key to wrapping spring rolls is making sure that they’re tight, yet not overstuffed.

Here comes the difficult part wrapping the filling. I am not a professional like my friends. Place 2 Tbs water and 1 Tbs cornflour in a small bowl and stir to combine. Remove 20 spring roll wrappers from the package and place on a work surface or plate. Cover with a damp tea towel to keep from drying out. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the wrapper on a flat surface so that a corner is facing toward you. Use about 1-2 spoonsful of the mixture per spring roll and spoon it about 2 inches from the corner that is closest to you. Roll it over once, just like you’re making a rice paper rolls, fold over both sides. Continue rolling it into a cigar shape. With your fingers, dip a bit of the cornflour water and dap onto the end and the corner of the wrapper that is farthest from you to seal it. Repeat filling and rolling into cigar shape, the remaining spring rolls. If making ahead, you can freeze the filled spring rolls using freezer bag, label and date them.

Place each roll on a lined tray. The trick is making some place on a lined tray, place in freezer, while you continue to wrap, as you and I might be taking some time to wrap each spring roll. The first batch would be frozen, remove to zip lock bag. Or if you can wrap fast like my friends, place each on a lined tray. Then freeze these spring rolls on the tray overnight, next day transfer them to a ziplock bag when they are completely frozen for future use.

Sweet chili sauce and heat the oil for frying

Prepare the sweet chili sauce by adding all the ingredients into a small saucepan. Heat on medium, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolved. Taste and see to your liking. I like it a bit spicy, I add bird eye. The best is it should taste like lemonade/limeade. 

Now heat enough oil to come up 1 to 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a large wide pot over medium-high heat. I learned from my dad to test the oil is hot by place a wooden chopstick in for 15-20 seconds; the oil should produce steady, small bubbles and float up around the chopstick.

Note: Google: “Alternatively, drop a cube of bread into the oil; it’s ready when the bread turns golden brown in about 15-20 seconds. If the oil bubbles vigorously or the bread browns too quickly, the oil is too hot. Drop a small cube of bread: into the hot oil. Time how long: it takes for the bread to turn golden brown. If the bread browns: in approximately 15-20 seconds, the oil is ready for frying. If it browns too quickly, the oil is too hot.”

Put on the large size google, wear rubber gloves, wrap cling wrap from half gloves up to my elbow and wear 2 aprons, place a bucket with water nearby. Now I am ready to fry, and test the oil heat: carefully add the spring rolls in small batches about 3-4 spring rolls to the hot oil. Fry for about 4-5 minutes, turning with tongs as needed, until they are golden and crispy. I cook a further 1 minute. You don’t have to. Meantime, prepare a plate with lined paper towel to absorb the oil from the spring rolls. When spring rolls are done, transfer to a plate. Serve with sweet chili sauce. Enjoy!!!!

https://helenscchin.com/2023/09/05/vegetable-spring-rolls/

My other baked spring rolls recipe:https://helenscchin.com/2022/08/27/bun-vermicelli-noodle-grilled-lemongrass-chicken-spring-rolls-and-salad/

#helenscchinrecipes
#vegetablesmeals
#fingerfoodssnacks
#cookingforthefun
#foodiesplus