Check out crispy fried tofu with peanut sauce and fresh Vietnamese spring rolls.
About the recipe
Spring Roll is a Chinese snack filled with vegetables in a pastry sheet, rolled, and deep fried. Since spring rolls are prepared using spring vegetables like cabbage, carrots, and spring onions and made during spring festivals, it is called spring rolls. Spring rolls originated in China but are now very popular in Vietnamese, Thai, Philippines. It is called cha gio in Vietnam, paw pia tod in Thailand, and lumpia in the Philippines. Each has its own variation in the filling. Spring rolls are one of the best recipes to be served as an appetizer or finger food for your dinner party or to bring for potlucks and picnics.
Ingredients
Wrappers: you can use spring roll wrappers, lumpia wrappers, egg roll wrappers, or tortillas to make these crispy fried spring rolls. Generally, I wouldn’t like using rice rolls wrappers for frying as they are challenging to manage and absorb excess oil. Rice roll wrappers are good for making these fresh summer rolls. For best results, use store-bought wrappers or tortillas, as they have a uniform thickness. Vegetables: I have used cabbage, carrot, capsicum, fresh basil leaves, and spring onions. You can add mushrooms, celery, sprouts, rice noodles, shrimp, or even your favorite meat. Flavoring: Use pepper, salt, and pepper flakes with soy sauce and vinegar. See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
Spring rolls filling
Using a food processor, finely chop all the vegetables. You can also use any other vegetables or meat of your choice. Transfer this finely chopped vegetables to a bowl. In a pan on a medium-high flame, heat oil. Add all the chopped veggies and cook on high flame till the vegetables are half cooked but crispy. To this, add basil leaves, pepper powder, pepper flakes, soy sauce, vinegar, salt to taste and mix well. Switch off the flame.
How to wrap a spring roll?
Add flour and 2 tablespoon of water in a small bowl and mix to form a thick paste. This is used for sealing the edges of the spring roll. You can use only water. Place a tortilla wrap or spring roll wrapper on a working surface. Take about 2 tablespoon of the vegetable mixture, and place it as a log-on end farther from you. Apply the flour paste along the edge of the tortilla to act as glue. Using the edge farther to you, roll it up and over the vegetable mix and tuck it to form a tight log by pulling the mixture closer together. Fold the left side of the wrapper towards the center and then the right side to seal and close the ends of the roll. Now roll the wrapper towards you, gently tucking the filling tighter. Make sure the end is sealed with the flour mixture. (Check the video here on how to wrap a spring roll: src wiki )
How to make deep-fried crispy spring rolls?
Heat oil for frying. See that atleast 40 % of the pan is covered with oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the rolls on a medium flame for approximately 2 to 3 minutes on each side until it becomes crispy and golden brown. Transfer it to a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Serve with sweet and spicy chili sauce, and enjoy.
Tips
For this recipe, you can also use egg wrappers instead of tortillas or frozen spring roll wrappers. Generally, I wouldn’t say I like using rice rolls wrappers for frying as they are difficult to manage and absorb excess oil. See that you squeeze the vegetable mixture to avoid any water content before placing it on the wrap. Else spring rolls might explode while frying. For crispy and perfect spring rolls, always see that the oil is hot, and spring rolls are cooked on medium to medium-high flame. Do not overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of the pan, add the spring rolls. Do not overfill the spring roll. Too much filling will rip the wrapper. Leftover spring rolls can be stored in an air-tight conatiner in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through and becomes crispy.
Baking instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush each spring roll with oil. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through or until spring rolls become crispy and golden brown.
Serving suggestion
Spring rolls can be served with fried rice or hakka noodles for a complete meal or as an appetizer with peanut sauce, hoisin sauce, or sweet chili sauce, or schezwan sauce.
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Recipe card
