Tuesday, February 3, 2015

How to Make Spring Rolls


How to make a professional looking spring roll is actually not that difficult.  This post takes me back to one of the several night school cooking courses I did, when I first started flatting.
Having a mother who is a fabulous cook will do that to you.  That is, rendering me useless in the kitchen, because mum did all the cooking when I lived at home, whilst instilling in me a taste for fabulous, good quality, often exotic, fresh home cooked food.


Once I moved out, if I wanted to eat well, the only way to resolve that dilemma, was to get off my ass and go and learn  how to cook at evening college.

I had some ingenious teachers, in those dark and ill equiped high school home science kitchens, back in the 90's, but it was actually a fellow student who taught me how to make a killer spring roll.  These are tight as a fish's proverbial and my friends who came over for an Australia Day weekend dinner party, couldn't believe I had made them from scratch.


But really it's so easy and I have the photos to prove it.  The recipe is below as well, because these are really yummy and will have your guests thinking you are either a domestic goddess once again or, at the very least, asking you the location of your new you beaut Chinese takeaway.  It depends on how you want to play it.

So here's how we roll.

1. Place the spring roll wrapper in a flat clean surface  with a corner facing you.  

2. Put 2 heaped teaspoons of your mixture in a corner (about 2cm from the point) of the spring roll wrapper.


3. Take the  corner of the wrapper and roll it tightly, so the filling is fully covered and tuck the corner of the wrapper snugly under the mixture.


4.  Fold the first flap of the spring roll wrapper as above and do the same for the other side, ensuring any over lapping corners are tucked in so that you get a neat package as you roll.


5.  Roll the package tightly up towards the top point and dab a small amount of water in the top corner of the wrapper, to ensure it seals.


6.  Once cooked, drain on kitchen paper


Pork and Crab Spring Rolls with Chinese Cabbage, Carrot and Ginger.

1 tablespoon of peanut oil
1 x 200g/7oz can of crab meat drained
120g/4oz pork mince
1 teaspoon ginger grated
1 finely grated carrot
1 cup of diced Chinese cabbage
2 finely sliced green shallots
1/2 cup finely diced water chestnuts
1.5 tablespoons ketjap manis (available at most super markets)
1 packet of frozen spring roll wrappers (available at Asian Supermarkets)
1/4 cup of peanut oil to fry spring rolls

To make the Spring Roll Mixture

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non stick pan
Saute pork and ginger until lightly browned
Add crab meat and saute for 1 minute
Add carrot, cabbage, green shallots and water chestnuts and saute for 2 minutes, until cabbage has wilted and the mixture is well combined.
Add Ketjap Manis and stir through.

To make the Spring Rolls

Follow the folding and rolling instructions above
Keep a damp tea towel over the unused spring roll wrappers, so they don't dry out waiting to be used.
Heat 1/4 cup of peanut oil in a clean non stick pan
Fry spring rolls in batches, until golden brown on all sides.
Drain on kitchen paper.
Serve warm within 15/20 minutes, with soy or sweet chilli sauce.


We never actually got to eat out here on the Australia Day Weekend, because the southerly buster sprang up, so we picked up the whole thing and walked it inside, to the living room.  It was a great night with good friends and lots of laughs.  And you know what I love most about this land of Australian immigrants?  We had an Asian entree, a French main course and an Australian dessert, all washed down with French rose, Tasmanian Apple cider and a Hunter Valley Port.

Not just on Australia Day, but 365 days a year, I feel like bowing down and thanking the universe I was born in this multicultural paradise, often referred to as the Lucky Country.  Sure we have our problems, but by and large we are a cohesive, warm and tolerant people and I absolutely think that is the only way to go.  Although the nightly news would have your believe otherwise, ninety nine percent of people in this country are good, decent people.  The strengths that bind us, are much greater than the things that divide us.

I am proud of what we have and can still achieve, here in Australia.  So here's to much more of it in the future.


For more easy and impressive appetizers go here.

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23 comments :

  1. Oh gord these sound divine! I would leave out the pork however but that's because I do not eat it. I must make these and I know the kids would love them!

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    1. I think you could easy use chicken as well. Enjoy

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  2. Easy to do. I have never made spring rolls. I'll have to give it a go. #ibot

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  3. These look wonderful! I've never tried to make them before, have pinned to hopefully try these very soon :)

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  4. Tight as a fishes what? How very unladylike of you Carolyn! But you did make me laugh I needed that today!
    These look so delicious, I want to eat a whole bowl of them right now. I cant resist a hot spring roll :)

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  5. These would be good for me to make for my daughter's 15th birthday party. Thanks for the recipe.

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  6. Wow! They look great and I bet they taste awesome soon. Much better than what you get at the local takeaway shop :) #teamIBOT

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    Replies
    1. Yes they were better than bought ones that's for sure.

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  7. I totally agree, Australia is a cultural melting pot and it is awesome 99% of the time, why let the 1% ruin it. Those spring rolls look delicious.

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    1. Yes I like to look at this wonderful place from the positive side. We are truly blessed to be part of it.

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  8. Oh I have to make spring rolls this weekend so this tutorial will come in very handy - Thank you for sharing. Popping over from #ThrivingonThursdays

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  9. I love vegetarian spring rolls, but I've never been able to master them! I'll have to give this a whirl.

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  10. What a professional roll and the recipe looks divine - I love the addition of the crab meat to the pork mince. I'm a big dumpling maker and I have a few special varieties. I have made spring rolls before but these look really great. I'm with you too on loving our multicultural country and cuisines - I think Australia has it made on the food front, especially with our fresh ingredients.

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  11. Hello gorgeous! You always make everything look so beautiful Caro. I'm featuring this one at tomorrow's Thriving on Thursday.Thanks for always stopping by.

    Anne xx

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  12. Aha! I have never even attempted a spring roll. Love the very detailed instructions and photos and your witty style to boot. Do they take long to fry? Just in a normal frying pan?? Thanks Carolyn, must try to get together.

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    Replies
    1. No a very quick fry in hot peanut oil, just to brown the pastry. I do it in about half a centimetre oil, in a regular non stick fry pan.

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