How to make spring rolls – recipe

Thanks to their happy similarity to gold bars, these tightly wrapped little parcels of joy – be they Vietnamese chả giò, Filipino lumpia or Thai po pia tod – will be enjoyed by many of those celebrating lunar new year this week. Spring rolls are best enjoyed hot and fresh, rather than reheated from the supermarket, and these Chinese versions are easy and fun to make at home.

Prep 20 min
Cook 15 min
Makes 8

125g minced pork, or chicken, turkey, shrimp, prawns, soya mince or tofu (see step 1)
5g dried shiitake mushrooms, or other Chinese mushrooms (see step 2)
1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
150g trimmed Chinese leaf, or other cabbage
50g carrot
50g water chestnuts, or bamboo shoots or bean sprouts
½ tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for deep-frying
1 tsp Chinese five-spice
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
¼ tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp chopped spring onions or Chinese chives
8 spring roll wrappers, plus a few to spare (defrosted, if necessary)

1 A note on the protein

If you’d prefer to leave out the pork, you could substitute minced chicken or turkey instead, or brown shrimp or finely chopped small prawns (defrosted and patted dry, if need be), rehydrated soya mince or firm tofu, minced and lightly seasoned – the tofu will soak up all the other flavourings, so there’s no need to go overboard with the salt and pepper.

2 Soak the dried mushrooms

Soak the dried shiitake in warm water for about 20 minutes, or while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chewy wood ear would also work well here, as would a mixture of wood ear and shiitake. Alternatively, use 50g cleaned fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped and sauteed in a hot, lightly greased pan until all the moisture has evaporated.

3 Prep the other veg

Meanwhile, finely grate a teaspoon of fresh ginger, and peel and crush the garlic. Trim the core from the Chinese leaf (or savoy or green cabbage), if necessary, then finely shred the leaves to yield about 150g. Scrub and grate the carrot, and cut the water chestnuts or bamboo shoots into matchsticks; if using beansprouts, leave them whole.

4 Stir-fry the vegetables

Drain the soaked mushrooms, saving the soaking water, then roughly chop. Heat the neutral oil in a frying pan, cook the ginger and garlic for a minute, add the five-spice and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Add the mushrooms and other vegetables, as well as about two tablespoons of the reserved mushroom soaking water (or water, stock or rice wine), and add the tofu, if you’re using that instead of meat.

5 Finish the filling

Leave the veg mixture to simmer uncovered, until the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables have softened. Stir in the oyster and soy sauces and the sesame oil, and cook for another minute. Mix in the pork, if using, fry until cooked, then take off the heat. Once completely cool, mix in the chopped spring onions or chives (the Chinese variety are crunchier and more potent than the European sort).

6 Now for the wrappers

Spring roll wrappers are easily found in the freezer section of most large supermarkets or in Asian food specialists. Defrost them before use, still sealed in the packet. Put one wrapper on a clean work surface with one corner facing you. Cover the remaining pile of wrappers with a damp cloth, so they don’t dry out, and have a bowl of cold water within reach.

7 Make the rolls

Spoon about two teaspoons of the filling mix in an oblong just below the middle of the wrapper, and leaving a gap at each end, then bring the bottom over the top of the filling. Roll this up to the middle of the sheet, then fold in the sides over the top, wetting them slightly with the water so they stick. Wet the top corner, then roll up tightly. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

8 Get ready to deep-fry

Cover the uncooked spring rolls with a damp cloth until you’re ready to cook (alternatively, freeze them on a tray in a single layer until solid, then decant into a bag for easier storage and deep-fry from frozen). Add oil to a wok or large pan so it’s a third full and heat to 180C (or when tiny bubbles gather around a chopstick dipped into the pan).

9 Cook in batches, then serve

Fry the spring rolls in batches of three or four for about five minutes each, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp all over, then lift out and drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot with dips of black vinegar and chilli oil, sweet chilli sauce or Worcestershire sauce mixed to taste with soy sauce and a little sugar.