Veg Roll (2 Pcs) With Chai Recipe

Prepare vegetables: finely chop onion, julienne or grate carrot, thinly shred cabbage, thinly slice bell pepper, and slice spring onion whites. Keep spring onion greens chopped separately.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs vegetable oil and swirl to coat.

Add grated ginger and minced garlic and sauté for 20–30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn.

Add the chopped onion and sauté 1–2 minutes until softened and translucent.

Add carrot, cabbage, and bell pepper. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until vegetables are just tender-crisp. Keep the heat fairly high so vegetables stay crisp.

Stir in spring onion whites, soy sauce, vinegar, white pepper and salt. Toss to combine and cook 30–45 seconds.

Mix cornstarch with 1 tbs water to make a slurry. Pour the slurry into the pan and toss; this will bind any released juices and slightly glaze the filling. Cook another 30 seconds until slurry thickens.

Turn off heat; stir in chopped spring onion greens. Transfer filling to a bowl and let it cool for 8–10 minutes (filling should be warm but not steaming when wrapping).

Make the flour glue by mixing 1 tsp flour with 1 tsp water to a smooth paste; this will seal the roll edges.

Lay one spring roll wrapper on a clean surface with a corner pointing toward you (diamond shape). Place half the filling (about 1/2 cup) in a horizontal line across the lower third of the wrapper, leaving margins on both sides.

Fold the bottom corner up over the filling, then fold in the two side corners snugly over the filling to form an envelope. Continue rolling tightly to the top corner, brushing the final edge with a little flour glue to seal. Repeat with the second wrapper and remaining filling.

Optional — to achieve a crisper, evenly browned roll: heat 1/4 cup oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat (or 2 inches of oil in a deep pan to deep-fry). If shallow-frying, place seam-side down first and cook, turning, until all sides are golden and crisp, about 2–3 minutes per side. If deep-frying, fry 1–2 minutes until golden. Alternatively, brush rolls with oil and bake in a 200°C / 400°F preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, turning once, until golden.

Transfer cooked rolls to paper towels to drain any excess oil. Let rest 1–2 minutes before slicing in half on the diagonal.

Combine 1 cup water, crushed ginger, and crushed cardamom pods in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Add 2 tsp black tea leaves, reduce heat slightly and simmer 1 minute to infuse (for stronger tea simmer 1–2 minutes).

Add 1 cup milk and 2 tsp sugar. Bring back to a gentle boil, stirring so it doesn't overflow. When it starts to rise, lower heat and simmer 30 seconds to 1 minute for a richer flavor.

Turn off heat and strain tea into two cups. Serve hot alongside the veg rolls.

Plate and Serve

Place two veg roll halves (one whole roll sliced into two pieces yields 2 pcs) on a plate with ketchup and green chutney on the side. Serve immediately with hot chai.