Traditional Spring Rolls Recipes

AUTHENTIC CHINESE SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Mix marinade ingredients well. Add pork. Mix well and marinate at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
• Saute cabbage and carrots in 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in wok until crisp-tender. Alternately, steam vegetables in a bamboo steamer until crisp-tender (about 5 minutes). Spread out on a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan and put in refrigerator (or freezer, if you're in a hurry) until thoroughly cold. Saute meat in wok in 1 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil until no longer pink. Continue to saute until all moisture/juices have evaporated. Meat should appear dry. Spread out on another cookie sheet or jellyroll pan and put in refrigerator (or freezer, if you're in a hurry) until thoroughly cold. Stir together cooled meat, binder mixture, cooled cabbage and carrots, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and green onions. Mix well. Make sure filling is cool to the touch.
• Combine sealer ingredients and mix until smooth. Place one wrapper on the counter with a point facing toward you, so the wrapper looks diamond-shaped, not square. Place a small amount of filling, about 1/4 cup, about 1/3 of the way up on on the wrapper. roll the wrapper tightly, tucking in the sides, to form a narrow finished roll about 1/2 to 2/3 inch in diameter. Seal the roll by brushing the triangle end flap with sealer for about the last 1-1/2 to 2 inches. Keep finished rolls under a damp towel or a couple of damp paper towels. Can be refrigerated or frozen at the point. For long term storage in freezer, put rolls in plastic bags.
• To make the dipping sauce, combine all ingredients and stir well. To make the alternate dipping sauce, combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring until smooth. Strain and cool.
• Heat 1 quart vegetable oil in wok to about 350 degrees. Add rolls one at a time. Do not crowd. Cook in batches of 8 to 10 until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Regulate heat as necessary to maintain temperature. Don't let temperature go over 375 degrees. Cut in half diagonally and serve warm with a Chinese mustard for dipping and one of the soy-sauce based dipping sauces listed above. Cutting the rolls in half diagonally facilitates absorption of the sauce into the filling when the roll is dipped. Also, it makes the rolls go farther and be easier for people to handle at a party, etc. Cooled rolls can be reheated at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, wrapped in foil.

ASIAN SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, hoisin sauce and sugar; set aside. In a large saucepan, bring 2 qts. water and salt to a boil. Add noodles; cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. , Transfer to a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons reserved lime juice mixture; set aside. In another bowl, combine the carrot, cucumber, jalapeno and peanuts. Toss with the remaining lime juice mixture; set aside., Soak spring roll wrappers in cool water for 5 minutes. Carefully separate and place on a flat surface. Top each with several cilantro leaves. Place 1/4 cup carrot mixture and 1/4 cup noodles down the center of each wrapper to within 1-1/2 in. of ends. , Fold both ends over filling; fold one long side over the filling, then carefully roll up tightly. Place seam side down on serving plate. Cover with damp paper towels until serving., In a small saucepan, cook garlic and pepper flakes in oil for 2 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients; cook and stir until combined and thickened. Serve with spring rolls.

EASY SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Before you get the kids cooking, put the noodles, vegetables, prawns and chicken in individual bowls for everyone to help themselves. Get everyone to wash their hands and put aprons on. Sit the kids down and give them their own mixing bowl and spoon. Let them choose which ingredients they want (noodles are essential) in their rolls and if they want to graze as they choose, that's fine - all the ingredients are cooked or can be eaten raw. Add a bit of garlic and ginger, a tiny dash of soy and sprinkling of five-spice to each bowl and let them mix everything together.
• Push the bowl aside and lay a sheet of pastry in front of each child. Ask them to spoon the filling down one side of each sheet, then give them the beaten egg and a brush so they can brush around the edges. Help them to roll the pastry up neatly by folding both sides over the filling, then rolling them up.
• Lift the spring rolls onto a baking tray, seam-side down, brush with a little more egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if you like. Try to remember which child made which roll to save any arguments at the end! Bake for 20-25 mins or until golden.
• While the rolls are in the oven, make the dipping sauce. Get the kids to mix all the ingredients together until the sugar has dissolved. When the spring rolls are golden and crisp, remove from the oven. Leave until cool enough to handle, cut into pieces for smaller kids, then let them eat, dipping the rolls into the sauce.

SPRING ROLL RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add garlic, stir quickly, then add pork. Cook, breaking it up as you go, until it turns white.
• Add carrot, bean sprouts, cabbage and mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add cornflour, soy sauce and Oyster sauce, cook for 1 minute until the liquid is gone. The Filling should not be watery, it should be kind of sticky (watery filling = soggy spring rolls = ? ).
• Cool Filling (super speedy: spread on tray, refrigerate 5 minutes). (Hot filling = spring rolls burst open = ? )
• Mix cornflour and water in a small bowl (for sealing the rolls).
• Carefully peel off one spring roll wrapper, keep the others covered under a damp tea towel.
• Place the wrapper with the SMOOTH SIDE DOWN (Note 3) in a diamond position. Place a very heaped dessert spoon of filling on the bottom. Roll up halfway, fold sides in, then finish rolling. Use cornflour sludge to seal. (Watch VIDEO below). They should be about 12 cm / 5" long, 2.5cm / 1" wide once wrapped.
• Pour enough oil in a wok or large saucepan (Note 4) so it is double the height of the spring rolls. Heat on medium high until hot - stick a bamboo chopstick or wooden spoon handle in, if rapid bubbles appear, then it's hot enough.
• Carefully place spring rolls in the oil (about 4 - 5 at a time) and cook, turning occasionally, until deep golden - around 1 1/2 - 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• Repeat with remaining spring rolls. Serve while hot with Sweet and Sour Sauce!
• Place spring rolls on a rack and place the rack on a tray. Spray very generously with oil all over (use canola or other natural oil). Bake at 200C/400F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan / convection) for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and crispy - no need to turn.
• Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, stirring regularly, then simmer until it thickens to taste (about 3 - 5 minutes).

FRESH SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Cook vermicelli noodles in boiling water, for just a few minutes, according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
• Gather all topping ingredients together, including chopped veggies, herbs, cooked shrimp.
• Add about 1 inch of water to a large, deep dish, or pie pan. Place one rice wrapper into the water and let soak for just 10-15 seconds. It should still feel pretty firm as you remove it and lay it on your counter or plate.
• (It will soften up as you add the filling ingredients, but If you let it soak for too long it will get too soft and will tear when you roll it up.)
• Layer 1-2 slices of each veggie, a few shrimp, a few leaves of each herb and a pinch of noodles on the 1/3 of the spring roll that is closest to you.
• Fold the sides of the spring roll in over the ingredients. Then pull the side closest to you up and over the ingredients, sealing everything together tightly, and rolling it up like a burrito.

SPRING ROLLS RECIPE

Steps:

• To make the Filling, heat the oil in a skillet over high heat. Ad the pork and stir fry until the surface turn white. Add the cabbage, stir a few times before adding all the ingredients in Seasonings. The filling is ready when the cabbage becomes somewhat dry and not wet. (Wet filling will make the spring rolls soggy and not crispy.) Transfer the filling to a big bowl, let cool.
• To wrap a spring roll, place a piece of spring roll wrapper on a flat surface. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the filling lengthwise onto the center of the wrapper. DO NOT OVERFILL. Using a small brush or your index finger, dab the beaten egg around the outer edges of the wrapper.
• Fold the bottom part of the wrapper over the filling.
• Fold the left and right sides of the wrapper over the filling. Make sure the filling is packed tightly. Roll the spring roll over until it reaches the other end of the wrapper. Make sure the spring roll is sealed tight and there is no leakage. Repeat the steps until you use up the filling.
• Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a wok or a small sauce pan to 350°F (176°C) for deep frying. Gently drop the spring rolls into the oil and deep fry in batches. Deep fry until golden brown. Remove the spring rolls using a strainer or a slotted spoon, draining excess oil on a plate lined with paper towels. Serve immediately.

CHINESE SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Mix the pork with the marinade ingredients and set aside for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Cut all of the vegetables to approximately the same size. You want everything the same size so each ingredient blends together.
• Brown the pork over high heat in 2 tablespoons of oil, and add the garlic, mushrooms and carrots. Stir fry for 30 seconds, and add the bamboo shoots, napa cabbage, and Shaoxing wine. Continue stir-frying for a minute. Adjust the heat to simmer the mixture, as the napa cabbage will release a lot of moisture.
• Stir in the soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and sugar. At this time, you have the option of adding 1/4 cup of the decanted water from soaking the dried mushrooms. It strengthens the mushroom flavor, so this is purely according to your personal preference. You may also have to simmer the filling longer to reduce the additional liquid.
• Continue simmering the filling for another 3 minutes--until the napa cabbage is completely wilted--and stir in the corn starch slurry to thicken. How much slurry you add depends upon the wetness of the filling (this varies if your cabbage had more moisture or if you did add the optional mushroom water), but there should be no standing liquid at all.
• Transfer the filling to a large shallow bowl, and let cool. Place into the refrigerator to cool further-at least one hour. It's 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. It's best to use fresh spring roll wrappers if you can, as freezing the wrappers can result in the spring roll skin being a bit too damp.
• Place the wrapper on a flat surface so that a corner is facing toward you. Use about two spoonfuls of the mixture per spring roll, and spoon it about 2 inches from the corner that is closest to you. Roll it over once, and, like you're making a burrito, fold over both sides. Continue rolling it into a cigar shape. With your fingers, brush a bit of the cornstarch water onto the corner of the wrapper that is farthest from you to seal it.
• In case you're wondering, we did try egg wash instead of the cornstarch mixture to seal the spring roll but the egg wash "stains" the spring roll, so it's best to use the cornstarch mixture.
• Place each roll on a tray. This recipe makes about 18-20 spring rolls. You can also freeze these spring rolls on the tray overnight, and transfer them to a zip-lock bag when they are completely frozen for future use. We usually fry some fresh and freeze the rest, unless we are hosting a party, in which case, these go like hot cakes!
• To fry the spring rolls, fill a small pot (which requires less oil) with oil until it's 2 to 3 inches deep. Heat the oil slowly over medium heat until it reaches 325 degrees. Gently add the spring rolls one at a time, frying in small batches. Carefully roll them in the oil so they cook evenly until golden brown and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels.
• Prepare the dipping sauce by adding all ingredients to a small sauce pan. Mix and heat until just simmering and pour into a small bowl. Serve the spring rolls hot with the dipping sauce!

EASY SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Fill a 9-inch pie plate with warm water; dip 1 rice paper into the water. Transfer to a work surface and let stand for a few seconds to soften.
• Snip cooked rice noodles. Arrange 3 tablespoons noodles across the lower 1/3 of the softened rice paper. Top with 1 ounce chicken, 1/4 cup cucumber, 1 tablespoon mint, and 1/2 tablespoon sauce. Fold and lightly press bottom edge of rice paper over filling, tucking it underneath as you roll away from you. Fold in sides and continue to roll up tightly. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

TRADITIONAL SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Remove any fat or gristle from the pork loin. Going across the grain, make paper-thin slices and cut them into matchstick-size shreds. Place the shreds in a bowl, add the marinade, toss lightly to coat, and let stand 15 minutes. Combine the sauce ingredients.
• For the paste, combine the flour and water with a whisk until smooth.
• Heat a well-seasoned wok, add 3 tablespoons oil, and heat until very hot. Add the Chinese cabbage and stir until just wilted, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the Chinese chives or scallions, the bean sprouts and the two tablespoons of rice wine. Stir-fry another minute over high heat and remove with a strainer. Drain off any liquid and spread the mixture out on a tray to cool.
• Reheat the wok, add 3 tablespoons of oil and heat until very hot. Add the pork shreds and fry over high heat, stirring constantly, until they separate and change color. Remove and drain.
• Drain the pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat until very hot. Add the shredded black mushrooms and toss lightly over high heat 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the cooked pork and the sauce. Stir-fry briefly until sauce thickens and remove. Spread on a platter and cool. Once cool, mix with the cabbage-bean sprout mixture.
• Arrange one spring roll wrapper flat on a counter. (Cover the others with a damp cloth to keep them them from drying out.) Grab a portion of filling - about 1/4 cup - and squeeze out any excess liquid. Place the filling across the lower third of the skin and, using your finger, spread some paste on the opposite edge. Starting at the edge near the filling, roll up the skin a little to enclose it. Fold in the two side ends and continue rolling over so that the skin forms a tight little package. Repeat for remaining skins and filling.
• Heat a wok, add remaining oil and heat to 375 degrees. Add five or six spring rolls and fry, turning constantly, until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain until cool on absorbent paper. Fry remaining rolls. Serve with hot mustard and plum sauce.