Many years ago, 1996 to be exact, I did a short Chinese Cookery Course and learnt how to cook these. The recipe has developed over the years and largely depends on whatever ingredients I have in the fridge or basically how fat I’m feeling at the time. Ha ha. I know there are many versions out there but these are just a couple of options that I like. They are light and tasty and obviously a lot healthier than the deep fried ones.
INGREDIENTS
10-12 Spring roll pastry wrappers (gluten free for Coeliac
1 heaped teaspoon of cornflour
1 egg white
A drop of sesame oil
A splash of Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
A few drops of soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
Salt and white pepper to taste
Half a teaspoon of Chinese 5 spice powder
A mix of crunchy vegetables of your choice lightly blitzed in the food processor. NB you can quite easily just grab a packet of stirfry veg which is readily available in all supermarkets if you can’t be bothered to chop. (I used half a small tin of bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, 1 medium carrot, 3 spring onions, a couple of handfuls of beansprouts)
1 clove of chopped garlic (optional)
METHOD
Place the chopped vegetables in a dish and season with a drop of sesame oil, splash of soy sauce, splash of rice wine, salt and white pepper, chilli sauce and 5 spice powder. Set aside.
Place the prawns into a food processor and blitz lightly, retaining a chunky texture.
Add the cornflour and egg white and mix well.
Mix half of the vegetables in with the prawn mixture and put in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to marinate.
With the remaining veg at the hoisin sauce and also put into the fridge.
Take your spring roll pastry and separate the sheets. This mix made approximately 10 to 12 spring rolls.
Keep the pastry covered with a slightly damp tea towel or clingfilm to prevent drying out.
Lay wrapper on your work surface, with one corner pointing toward you. Lay approx. 2.5 tablespoons of filling on this corner and slowly start to roll away from you.
Remember to “tuck” in your filling toward you as you roll to keep it tight and round
After you have about 1 complete rotation, fold in both ends over the roll, then finish your roll. Seal your final edge with egg white.
Brush with a beaten egg yolk mixed a couple of drops of sesame oil
Cook on 200°C for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Serve with sweet chilli and hoisin sauce
Wheelie Tasty Recipes 