A tiny slice of my life

This is a look at my life, and the many things I try to learn and do.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Now I have a saying in our house "I have had this (cookbook/ornament/kitchen utensil etc) longer than you. Now this statement is generally directed at Mr CLI. That statement goes for the cookbook that the spring roll recipe comes from.

I believe I purchased it not long after I started work, when I was about 17 or 18. Now I have cooked many things from it, but the spring roll recipe is one that I keep coming back to, time and again.

I have made many variations of springrolls over the years, ones with fine vermicelli noodles and raw vegetables. Ones with chow mein/chop suey meat and cabbage fillings. Also ones with meat and vegetables fillings, but I always go back to this recipe. All you have to do is slice/chop the vegies, spend about 7 minutes cooking them, then let them hang about in a colander to drain while cooling.

I always make my spring rolls, dim sums & wontons the day before I need them, not that it makes them taste any better, but so that I am not doing everything on the one day. I have done this before and by the time I sit down to eat the food I have no interest in eating.

This recipe is very flexible, you can delete an item, but you do need to replace it with another item, to keep the filling the same amount.

Now this filling has mushrooms and spring onions, both of which Miss Fish won't eat, but in these spring rolls she is happy to chomp them up.

I only make small spring rolls, enough for 2 mouth fulls. They cook quickly and are easy to eat.

Spring Rolls
1 packet spring roll wrappers, 1 x 250gm bag bean shoots, 1 bunch spring onions, 1 x 450 can bamboo shoot slices, 1 large carrot, 1 small punnet of pre sliced button mushrooms, 2 tsps brown sugar, 2 tbsps light soy sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp shao xing wine/dry sherry

Slice the carrots, spring onions & bamboo shoots into thin julienne approx 5 - 7 cm long.






Vegetables all ready


Now I must admit that I julienne my carrots on a mandoline slicer - picture below, other wise slice them very thin then julienne the slices











In a wok or frypan heat 2 tbsps oil, add the carrots, spring onions & bamboo shoots. Stir fry approx 2 - 3 minutes or until starting to wilt, then add the mushrooms & bean shoots, stir 1 minute. Add soy sauce, salt, sugar & wine. Stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes or until the vegetables have started to soften.

Remove from heat and put into a colander placed over a large bowl, leave till cool. I give them a stir 2 or 3 times to ensure as much of the liquid drains as possible. I also leave the vegies in the colander while making the spring rolls. Soggy vegies = soggy spring rolls.

To make the spring rolls cut the spring roll wrappers in half in the diagonal, kitchen scissors are good for this.

With the cut side of the triangle facing you, place about 1 tbsp of the mixture in the middle along the edge.









Fold the long edge over the filling, away from you. Then fold over each side, tucking in the points.









The roll into a cigar shape rolling away from you. dip the point into water and fold over to secure. Place onto a baking/parchment paper lined tray/plate. Continue making spring rolls, I had enough filling to use all but 1 spring roll wrapper.

To cook, I shallow fry them in a frypan using about 1 cm of vegetable or peanut oil. Drain them on kitchen paper.

I serve them with a dipping sauce made from 1 tsp chilli sauce & 1/4 cup light soy sauce mixed together.


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