Spring Rolls – my Pièce de résistance

 

I must have done something right with this recipe for spring rolls. All my friends seem to like them and they are always on the top of request list. It was something I learned how to do when I was in my teens so it’s not that difficult.

You will need:

1 carrot, grated

1 - 1 ½ cups of bean sprouts (optional)

250 grams pork mince

3-4 cloves of garlic

½ red onion (or 2-3 red shallots – about 2 tablespoons)

3 coriander roots

White pepper

1 ½ cups of mung bean vermicelli (about 100 grams), soaked in warm water until soft and drained, cut with scissors to manageable length

2 – 3 Tablespoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon chicken stock powder (or salt)

1 teaspoon sugar

1-2 tablespoons chopped spring onions

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

15-20 sheets of spring roll paper (about 20x20 square – usually come frozen in 330 gram packet, when they thaw they will be soft  – these are different from those rice paper sheets that you have to wet/soak them for fresh spring rolls)

1 tablespoon plain flour mixed with 3-4 tablespoons of water and made into a flour paste

Oil for frying

Chop garlic, coriander roots and shallots together  then add pepper.  Heat about 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a deep frying pan or a wok (wok is much better for this) on medium high heat. Fry garlic mixture until fragrant. Add pork mince, fry until brown and then add carrot and mung bean vermicelli. Add stock powder (or salt), soy sauce and sugar and taste, add more seasoning if necessary. It should taste quite strong. Add bean sprouts and fry further (I often omitted bean sprouts). I like my filling a bit dry so the spring rolls will not be soggy . Add chopped spring onions and coriander leaves. Remove from heat and leave to cool (cool filling is much easier to handle).

Place wrapping paper diagonally on a clean chopping board (FYI- my one is clean but it is old and well-used:). Place filling toward the lower corner. Lift that lower corner and wrap over the filling and roll half-way upward. 

 

Wrap two side corners inward and roll up toward the uppermost corner. 

 

Brush the corner with flour paste to glue the paper and secure the filling.

 

Deep fry in a small deep saucepan on medium heat until golden. Drain on paper kitchen towels. Serve with sweet chilli sauce and mint leaves.