Imperial Roll: From China to Vietnam

Spring rolls are globally renowned for their savory combination of meat and vegetable fillings wrapped in a flour skin before being deep-fried to perfection. In the southern parts of China, making these tasty snacks is an integral part of Lunar New Year celebrations – many families gather together at home to savor this classic dish.

In addition to Chinese spring rolls, Vietnamese spring rolls are very popular in Southeast Asia. If you’re journeying to Southeast Asia, these spring rolls are a classic dish of Vietnamese cuisine and an absolute must-try!

Ready to learn how to make these yummy snacks at home yourself? No problem; dive into this article for recipes to make both styles of Spring Rolls!

Vietnamese fried spring rolls are a hallmark of Vietnamese cuisine. Unlike Chinese fried spring rolls that usually appear during the Lunar New Year, these snacks have a thin and fragile wrapping made from paper rice skin. Chinese spring rolls are made of thick wheat flour wrappings instead.

The paper rice skin becomes soft and elastic when soaked in water or coconut milk. This gives it a slight coconut fragrance and adds to its flavour. The fillings of the two types of spring rolls are very similar. These often consist of shredded carrots and fungus, minced meat, and other ingredients. These fillings are usually held together with an egg too!

You can make spring roll wrappers at home, or you can buy them ready-made. If you are looking for a way to save time, then purchasing Chinese and Vietnamese spring roll wrappers directly is the best option.

Making them at home involves a fairly complicated process of kneading, rolling, and waking which can be very tedious. Similarly with Vietnamese skins, while they require less effort than the former, it still takes up plenty of time. These rolls need tapioca starch, water rice flour, and salt in order to properly come together. For an easier solution that won’t consume your valuable hours – head on over to supermarkets or online stores!

Ingredients

To begin, start by dicing the pork and shepherd’s purse (minced meat is also an option), shredding winter bamboo shoots, then finally heating up some oil in a pot.

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Add the freshly prepared spring roll stuffing to the pot and stir-fry. Season with salt and MSG before dishing up.

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Next, assemble the spring rolls! Take a spring roll wrapper and fill it with the stuffing. Wrap one corner, then fold in the corners on both sides. Continue to wrap until the spring roll is fully enclosed. Use an egg mixture or flour paste to seal the edges shut.

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Heat oil in a pan until 50% hot, then carefully fry the spring rolls until they are golden brown. Gently remove them from the pan and drain excess oil on paper towels. Allow them to cool slightly before you enjoy them!

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Ingredients

Direction

For easier chopping, it is best to cut the fatty meat separately from the other ingredients first.

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Soak then chop the vermicelli and black fungus.

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Chop up the water chestnuts and carrots.

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Mix all the ingredients and spices together well, and marinate for half an hour.

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Next, prepare your spring roll wrappers with rice milk – all of which can be purchased at the local market.

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For a tight and tasty spring roll, brush the edges of the skin with egg white. This will not only make it easier to wrap, but also prevent any filling from spilling out when frying.

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Carefully fill the bottom of the skin with a good amount of ingredients.

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Fold on both sides of the skin and roll tightly from the bottom to the top.

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This is a wrapped spring roll!

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Heat up a pan and test the temperature of the oil with chopsticks. When small bubbles begin to form around them, your oil is prepared for frying! Gently drop each spring roll one by one into the hot oil then reduce heat slightly while constantly stirring for a few minutes. When they turn golden, they are ready! Pour off any excess oil from the pan before serving these freshly-fried rolls!

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Packed with protein, fat and carbohydrates – as well as trace amounts of essential vitamins and minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and selenium – spring rolls are a nutritious treat. Varying fillings in the delicacy make for different nutritional constituents between each kind.

How to control the oil temperature for deep-fried spring rolls:

• Peanut oil is the most favored option for frying spring rolls due to its purity and safety. In comparison to palm oil, it produces less smoke when heated and has a lower temperature which reduces the risk of burning skin. This makes peanut oil simpler and safer to use than other alternatives.
• When frying, it is essential not to employ a high flame. The temperature of the oil should never surpass 200°C, and utilizing low heat for an extended period will guarantee that your food is cooked properly.
• To prevent accidents, add a small amount of oil to the pan before heating it. This will prevent the water in the pan from drying out and causing the oil and pan to float.
• Placing a lid over the pan once you’ve added your ingredients will trap heat, reducing contact between the oil and air.

What kind of oil do you use to fry spring rolls?

• When it comes to frying spring rolls, peanut oil is the way to go. It’s rich in unsaturated fatty acids and emits no harmful substances during the cooking process, plus its temperature remains stable throughout each dish. Best of all, your meal will be infused with a subtly nutty aroma that adds an extra layer of flavor!
• Avoid frying with soybean oil and rapeseed oil, as they contain high levels of linolenic acid. Additionally, safflower oil and sunflower oils are rich in linoleic acid; these should not be used for deep-frying either since their oxidation reaction accelerates at higher temperatures leading to the formation of unhealthy trans fatty acids that can cause potential harm to both your food and body when consumed.