Chinese spring rolls are very easy to make and quite satisfying. You can put various mixes inside them, my preference is for vegetables and rice noodles mixed. If you want you can try making the pastry for them, however, you will never get it as thin or even as shop bought, which I think is better. Go to a Chinese supermarket and the pastry comes in three sizes, I like the small or medium sized but it is up to you. The photo is of medium sized rolls.
When it comes to the filling you can put in raw, or cook it a little first. I prefer to cook it lightly beforehand and then let it cool.
Spring roll pastry – medium sized
Beansprouts – 1 medium pack
1 inch of ginger, finely shredded
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 leek, in fine strips, 1 inch long
2 Carrots, finely shredded
Fine rich noodle vermicelli – 1 large handful, cooked and then cooled and chopped
1 tsp light Soy sauce
1 tbl groundnut oil
1tsp cornflour, mixed with 3 tsp water
1 egg, lightly mixed
Make the filling. Heat the cornflour until it is hot, put in the ginger, garlic, leek, carrots and beansprouts. Stir fry for 20 seconds and then add 3 tbsp of water. Fry for a further 2 minutes, add the soy sauce and cornflour mix and cook for another minute until it is thickened. Put in a dish to cool. Once cool, add the noodles and mix.
Make the spring rolls. Take a sheet of spring roll pastry. It is a square but turn it so that it is diamond shaped in front of you. Using 1 tbsp of filling put it in the middle of the diamond in a horizontal strip of 3 inches. Take the side closest to you and fold over the mixture, drawing it back a little bit to form a cylinder, fold over each side into the centre ensuring it is quite tight and sealed. Then using a pastry brush, lightly brush the egg over the egg of the roll furthest away from you. Now taking the closed cylinder, finish by rolling it away from you. Keep making them until you finish the mixture. Your spring rolls are now ready to be cooked.
Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 180C. You can do this in a pan but you need to know what you are doing and be careful. Put the spring rolls in, 6 at a time and cook until golden. About 2 minutes. They are crisp and ready to eat.
