Chinese Take-In: Spring Rolls

I LOVE spring rolls, egg rolls, whatever you want to call them.  But they’ve always been one of those things that you get at the Chinese restaurant.  Well, one day I had a hankering for some and I picked up a box of frozen ones at the grocery store.  They were so nasty that I ended up throwing them away.  That’s pretty bad.  So, I decided it was time to try my hand at making them myself.  We’ve made won tons many times and they’re not so hard, so I figured I could manage a spring roll.

I may also have been inspired by our outing to HMart.  That place is amazing.  I probably need an interpreter as I can’t read half the labels and there are more than a few things I can’t identify, but I still love going there.

I picked up a package of spring roll wrappers and some of my favorite stir-fry vegetables and we got to work.

 

Pea pods, broccoli, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, bean sprouts, celery, green onion, bell pepper and a little bit of Chinese cabbage.

 

After cleaning and cutting the vegetables, I threw them into the food processor.

We put about 1/2 cup of vegetables on a wrapper and proceeded to roll.  Roll from one corner, folding in the opposite corners, so it looks like an envelope.

 

Then, fold over the last corner, brush a little water on it and that will seal your spring roll.

After you’ve assembled all your spring rolls–be careful not to stack your uncooked spring rolls.  The moisture will make them stick together and tear the wrappers–heat some oil in your wok and get ready to cook.

I found my wok holds three at a time nicely without crowding.

Give them about three or four minutes to cook in the hot oil and then turn them so they are golden brown on both sides.

When they’re done, you can drain them on the nifty wok rack or on a wire cooling rack.  You can also do it on paper toweling, but I find that fried things drain better on the rack.  And once they’re cooled enough to handle, it’s time to eat!

They’re the perfect starter for a Chinese dinner or a main course, along with a yummy oriental salad.  So now, I just need to find some more great Chinese recipes to go along with my spring rolls–or maybe some different fillings.  Ideas?