Spring Rolls with Sweet & Sour Sauce
Ingredients
FILLING
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped or minced
- 13 oz minced or ground pork can also use chicken or turkey
- 6 rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms or 8 fresh
- 1-1/2 cups shredded carrot
- 1-1/2 cups bean sprouts
- 1-1/2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 tsp cornflour or cornstarch
- 1-1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
SPRING ROLLS
- 15 spring roll wrappers
- 2 tsp cornflour for sealing rolls
- 1 tbsp water for sealing rolls
- Oil for frying or oils pray for baking
SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE (MAKES ~ 2/3 CUP)
- 2 tsp cornflour or cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
Instructions
FILLING
- Heat oil in a skillet or wok over high heat. Add garlic, stir quickly, then add pork. Cook, breaking it up as you go, until it turns white.
- Add carrot, bean sprouts, cabbage and mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add cornflour, soy sauce and oyster sauce, cook for 1 minute until the liquid is gone. The Filling should not be watery, it should be kind of sticky (watery filling = soggy spring rolls).
- Cool Filling (super speedy: spread on tray, refrigerate 5 minutes). (Hot filling = spring rolls burst open)
SPRING ROLL
- Mix cornflour and water in a small bowl (for sealing the rolls).
- Carefully peel off one spring roll wrapper, keep the others covered under a damp tea towel.
- Place the wrapper with the SMOOTH SIDE DOWN in a diamond position. Place a very heaped dessert spoon of filling on the bottom. Roll up halfway, fold sides in, then finish rolling. Use cornflour sludge to seal. They should be about 12 cm / 5″ long, 2.5cm / 1″ wide once wrapped.
- Pour enough oil in a wok or large saucepan (Note 4) so it is double the height of the spring rolls. Heat on medium high until hot – stick a bamboo chopstick or wooden spoon handle in, if rapid bubbles appear, then it’s hot enough.
- Carefully place spring rolls in the oil (about 4 – 5 at a time) and cook, turning occasionally, until deep golden – around 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Repeat with remaining spring rolls. Serve while hot with Sweet and Sour Sauce!
BAKING OPTION
- Place spring rolls on a rack and place the rack on a tray. Spray very generously with oil all over (use canola or other natural oil). Bake at 200C/400F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan / convection) for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and crispy – no need to turn.
SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE
- Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer, stirring regularly, then simmer until it thickens to taste (about 3 – 5 minutes).
Notes
FRYING vs BAKING: Frying makes spring rolls that are more delicate, crispy and flaky. With baking, the wrapper is still very crispy, but it is not quite the same delicate flaky texture. Also with baking, the wrapper flavour is slightly more dominant. Tip for baking is to SPRAY VERY WELL with oil!! If you don’t use a rack, then turn the spring rolls at about 15 minutes.
MAKE AHEAD / FREEZING: Freeze before cooking them cook from frozen. Best to serve freshly cooked so don’t try to store cooked ones.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!