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The filling for these can be used in either a spring roll wrapper (to deep fry), or in a rice paper roll (if you don’t want to deep fry). You can add or replace almost any of these fillings to suit your taste – basically, the filling is stir-fried vegetables, with or without protein – so you can also make these vegetarian if you want (not me!).
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups vegetable oil (if deep-frying)
- 350g your choice of protein – chicken/pork/beef mince, prawn, fish, mixed seafood, or tofu (chopped finely/minced)
- 10 frozen spring roll wrappers OR rice paper wrappers, thawed
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice wine
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornflour
Filling
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2cm fresh grated ginger
- ½ head of wombok (Chinese cabbage) or white cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 carrots, peeled and grated/julienned
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup beansprouts, trimmed
TIPS:
- Try not to use your old box grater for the vegetables, as it can let too much juice out, try a mandolin or food processor to finely chop, then julienne
- If using protein cook it first, then wipe out the wok before the filling, to ensure that each ingredient keeps its own flavour
INSTRUCTIONS
If using protein:
In a large bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and mix well. Then add the protein and let marinade for 10min-overnight.
Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil (it should immediately sizzle) then add the protein and stir fry (continuously stirring over high heat) until browned.
Once browned, remove protein from wok and put into a separate bowl to rest and cool. Wipe the wok clean.
Filling
Heat a wok over medium heat and add the remaining oil. Add in the spring onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds (these are the aromatics, so be careful not to burn them!)
Then add in the cabbage and carrots (and beansprouts if you want), turn heat to medium-high and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes, or until the carrots have slightly softened. If you are using protein, add this back in now and stir.
Once the protein is in, or if not using, now add in the oyster and soy sauces and stir again over heat just enough to mix through, then take off the heat and spread the mixture out on a tray to let cool. It’s a good idea to slightly prop up one end of the baking tray to allow any liquid to drain away from the filling mixture. Once the mixture is cool, tip out the liquid.
WRAPPING
Spring Rolls:
- Mix up a teaspoon of cornflour with a tablespoon of water.
- Place one wrapper in a diamond shape in front of you, and add 1 tablespoon of filling mixture near the bottom corner with enough space to cover the filling with the bottom corner.
- Cover the filling and roll tight, and roll a couple of turns so that it isn’t quite up half way.
- Fold over the left and right sides so that they create straight perpendicular sides in line with the filling, then continue to roll up tight into a spring roll.
- Using your finger, put a small amount of the cornflour mixture on the top corner to make sure it sticks together.
- Place on a tray and continue with the rest of the filling.
- Heat oil in a wok (about 3-5 cms deep) or deep fryer to 180C.
- Slide the spring rolls one at a time into the wok, or lower a few at a time into a deep fryer – not too many at a time, you don’t want them sticking together!
- They are cooked when they are a beautiful brown colour – about 3-4 minutes.
- Take them out and drain on a wire rack – enjoy warm!
Rice-paper rolls
- Get a shallow tray big enough to put one rice paper roll into without doubling over.
- Fill with about 1cm of hot water.
- Grab one sheet at a time, and place into the water tray for about 15 seconds, or until soft and malleable.
- Pull it out, let excess water drip off, and place on a board.
- Put about 2-3 tablespoons of filling inside, and even add some fresh beansprouts if you want to bulk it out.
- Then wrap it up like a present, but you don’t want to double over the wrapper more than twice, otherwise it can get a bit thick and chewy.
- Continue with the rest of the filling, and let the rice-paper stick and set, then enjoy!