Asian Recipes and Cooking Guide

Cooking Tips, Kitchen Skills and Recipes.....

Crunchy spring rolls are as popular in Thailand as they are in China. Thais fill their version with a delicious garlic, pork and noodle mixture.

Ingredients: (Makes 24)

24 x 15cm/6 inches square spring roll wrappers, thawed if frozen

30 ml/2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Sweet chili dipping sauce, to serve

For the filling:

4-6 Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in warm water to cover

50 g/2 oz cellophane noodles

30 ml/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped

225 g/8 oz minced (ground) pork

50 g/2 oz peeled cooked shrimp (prawn), thawed if frozen

30 ml/2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

5 ml/1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 carrot, grated

50 g/2 oz piece of canned bamboo shoot, drained and chopped

50 g/2 oz cup beansprouts

2 scallions (spring onions), finely chopped

15 ml/1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

Ground black pepper

Method:

Make the filling. Drain the soaked mushrooms. Cut off and discard the stems, then chop the caps finely. Place the noodles in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and snip them into 5 cm/2 inches lengths.

Heat the oil in a wok, add the garlic and chilies and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Add the pork to the wok and stir-fry until it has browned. Add the mushrooms, noodles and shrimps. Stir in the fish sauce and sugar, then add pepper to taste.

Tip the mixture into a bowl. Stir in the grated carrot, chopped bamboo shoot, beansprouts, scallions and chopped cilantro. Add the reserved chili mixture and mix well. Unwrap the spring roll wrappers. Cover them with a dampened dishtowel while you are making the rolls, so that they do not dry out, and work on them one at a time. Put the flour in a small bowl and stir in a little water to make a paste. Place a spoonful of the filling in the center of a spring roll wrapper.

Turn the bottom edge over to cover the filling, then fold in the sides. Roll up the wrapper almost to the top, then brush the top edge with the flour paste and seal. Fill the remaining wrappers.

Heat the oil in a deep-fryer or wok to 190°C/375°F or until a cube of bread browns in about 45 seconds. Fry the spring rolls, in batches, until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with sweet chili sauce.

Happy Cooking,

Carol