Spring Roll Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Soak glass noodles in warm water for 5–10 minutes until pliable. Drain and chop into 2–3 cm pieces. Julienne the carrot, shred the cabbage, thinly slice mushrooms, mince garlic, grate ginger and thinly slice green onions.

Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and grated ginger and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

Add ground pork (or chosen protein) and break it up with a spatula. Cook until no longer pink, about 4–6 minutes.

Add mushrooms and cook 2–3 minutes until they release moisture. Stir in carrots and cabbage and cook 2–3 minutes until vegetables begin to soften but still have some bite.

Add chopped glass noodles and green onions. Stir to combine.

Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, white pepper and salt. Toss and cook another 1–2 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and spread the filling on a plate to cool to room temperature (at least 10 minutes).

Prepare a clean work surface and a small bowl of water for sealing. Make sure filling is not hot (warm is okay) to prevent breaking wrappers.

Lay one spring roll wrapper diamond-shaped in front of you (one corner pointing toward you). Place about 3 tablespoons (20–25 g) of cooled filling near the corner closest to you, forming a tight log about 5–6 cm wide.

Fold the bottom corner over the filling, then fold the two side corners toward the center snugly. Continue rolling away from you until only the top corner remains. Brush a little water on the top corner edge and finish rolling to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. You should get 8–10 rolls depending on filling size.

If not frying immediately, place assembled rolls seam-side down on a tray lined with parchment and refrigerate up to 2 hours. For longer storage, freeze on tray then transfer to a bag; fry from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to cook time.

Pour oil into a deep skillet or pot to a depth of about 1.5–2 inches (3–5 cm). Heat oil to 175°C (350°F). If you don't have a thermometer, drop a small scrap of wrapper in oil; it should sizzle and brown in about 30–40 seconds.

Fry 3–4 spring rolls at a time without overcrowding the pan. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 3–4 minutes per batch.

Using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer fried rolls to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Season lightly with a pinch of salt while hot if desired.

If baking (alternate method): preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Place rolls seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment, brush lightly with oil, and bake 12–16 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp.

Whisk rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey (or sugar) and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency and taste. Serve alongside hot spring rolls.