Traditional Spring Rolls Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare the filling. In a wok, stir-fry each vegetable separately in peanut oil. Season with salt and pepper. Drain and transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in noodles, mushroom soy sauce, chili paste, sesame oil, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool completely. When cool, blend the filling mixture with the aromatic mixture. When ready to form the spring rolls, squeeze out all the excess liquid.
• Make the spring rolls. Place about 1/2 cup of prepared filling per spring roll wrapper. Roll and seal edges with the egg wash. Repeat the process until all filling is used.
• In a deep pot, with about 4 cups peanut oil heated to 350 degrees F., deep-fry in batches of 4 until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Trim off the ends and slice diagonally. Drizzle top with Hot Chinese Mustard Sauce. Serve immediately.
• Prepare the aromatic mixture. In a food processor, combine the ginger, garlic, green onions and red pepper flakes. Turn on machine, slowly add oil and process mixture to a puree. Saute mixture for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Set aside.
• Prepare the Hot Chinese Mustard Sauce. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the oil. Stir until well blended. Slowly whisk in the peanut oil until emulsified. Refrigerate, covered until needed.

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.

Steps:

• Soak the vermicelli 30 minutes in warm water; drain.
• In a large bowl, mix the vermicelli, eggs, onion, mushrooms, shrimp, pork, vegetable oil, carrot, crabmeat, bean sprouts, pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce and garlic.
• One by one, moisten the rice wrappers with a damp tea towel and fill with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the vermicelli mixture. Roll the wrappers, and allow them to set for 30 minutes.
• In a large saucepan, heat the oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Fry the spring rolls one or two at a time until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

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.

Steps:

• FOR DIPPING SAUCE.
• Stir together soy sauce, vinegar,sesame oil and sesame seed in a small bowl and set aside.
• FOR FILLING.
• Combine slaw mix, tofu and nuts.
• Add sweet and sour sauce, toss to coat, and set aside.
• TO PREPARE.
• Dip rice papers in a bowl of warm water and drain off excess.
• Place between damp kitchen towels until ready to fill. One at a time works best!
• In the center of a rice paper place a cilantro leaf and/or a thin shred of green onion.
• Top with about 1/2 cup of the filling.
• Fold one edge over the filling, fold in sides, and roll up.
• Serve with the dipping sauce.

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.

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.

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.