english: spring rolls, egg rolls
mandarin: chun juan
tagalog: lumpia
vietnamese: cha gio, nem
there are billions of kinds of spring rolls! here are some basic spring roll tips:
* spring roll wrappers made from wheat flour can be bought frozen. don't let them thaw and freeze and thaw and freeze too many times or they will become all crusty and hard. also, don't ever let them dry out or they will become hard and unusable. it's a good idea to put a damp cloth (but not too wet!) over the unused wrappers while you're rolling. the ideal spring roll wrapper (once thawed) is soft, flexible, thin, sturdy and slightly elastic.
* an alternative to wheat-based spring roll wrappers is the vietnamese kind, which is made from rice. the wrappers are called "banh trang" or "banh da nem" in vietnamese, but beware that "banh trang" refers to more than one type of wrapper; the kind you should get is the paper-thin kind that is flexible enough to roll up without cracking or crumbling. if you can't find this kind, get the kind that is paper-thin but more brittle, and soak each wrapper in water briefly before using.
* make sure that your spring roll filling is as dry as possible. moisture will cause the wrappers to break. that's why most of the filling recipes require you to salt some of the vegetables and squeeze out the water. here are some recipes for filling:
- spring roll filling #1
- spring roll filling #2
* i prefer to cut square spring roll wrappers in half diagonally and roll them TIGHTLY following the method in the diagram. just before the roll is complete, smear the wrapper corner with a very thick paste made of flour (or cornstarch) and water; then finish the roll. (in the diagram, red=filling and yellow=paste.)
* if you don't want to eat the spring rolls right after you roll them, they can be stored frozen in an airtight container. take care that they don't stick to each other while freezing, because they might break when you try to separate them. one solution to this problem is to freeze them separately (each roll separated from the next by plastic wrap, for example) for about a day or two, then put them all in one bag or container after they are fully frozen. several hours before cooking, take them out of the freezer and place them into the refrigerator to thaw slowly. once the rolls are mostly thawed, you can cook them.
* spring rolls are usually deep-fried. that means you heat up a large amount of oil, and after the oil is hot (throw in a small piece of cabbage or spring roll wrapper to test the oil temperature) you stick the rolls in and turn them around a bit and basically just wait until they turn golden-brown. then remove the rolls and put them on a paper towel to cool. deep frying has some disadvantages, however; so see below on tips for pan-frying and steaming spring rolls.
* pan-frying spring rolls uses less oil than deep-frying but is not any healthier (actually, i heard it may be less healthy). just use a non-stick frying pan; heat enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, and cook the spring rolls, turning frequently, until they are golden-brown all around. then remove them and put them on a paper towel to cool. pan-frying is not recommended if the rolls are too damp or not tightly rolled, because they will fall apart.
* steaming spring rolls is healthier than frying, but it doesn't give the roll that nice crisp skin that many people enjoy. to steam, just put the rolls on a lightly greased piece of wax or parchment paper, and put them in a steamer above boiling water. don't steam them too long or they will become soggy, and don't let them touch each other during steaming or they will stick to each other.
* spring rolls will break for any of these reasons:
- the roll was not rolled tightly
- there was too much filling in the roll
- the ends were not tucked in properly
- the final corner was not sealed properly
- the filling was too moist
- somehow water got onto them, maybe during the thawing process
- the oil was not hot enough when the rolls were put in for deep-frying
- they were steamed too long
- they stuck to each other during steaming, and separating them caused them to rip
- they stuck to each other before freezing, and separating them caused them to rip
* making sturdy spring rolls is not easy. if your rolls don't seem to hold together like they should, try these tips:
- if they're pan-fried they have less chance of breaking than if they are deep-fried
- if they're steamed properly they are less likely to break than if they are fried
* serve your spring rolls with one of these dipping sauces:
- nuoc cham
- soy-lime dipping sauce
- soy-vinegar dipping sauce
- sweet lumpia dipping sauce
enjoy.
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