Thai Spring Rolls

Crunchy spring rolls are a popular feature in most Asian cuisines.  Thais fill their version with garlic, pork and glass noodles.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 50g minced pork (optional)
• 1/2 cup raw cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cup raw carrot, shredded
• 1/2  cup bean sprouts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 1/2  teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup glass noodles (vermicelli)
• 8 sheets spring roll wrapper
• 1 beaten egg (for sealing)
• 1-2 cups  cooking oil (for deep frying)

Method

1. Soak the glass noodles in water for 15 minutes then cut into 5 cm lengths.2- Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a wok over a low heat, add the garlic.  After the garlic turns light brown add the pork and cook until pork is white.  Then add the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes.

1. Add the light soy sauce, pepper, sugar and water, combine well.
2. Add the glass noodles and cook for about 1 minute or until the glass noodles appear translucent.
3.  Divide the mixture into the required number of portions.
4. Wrap them and seal with beaten egg.
5. Deep fry for about 1-2 minutes until they are golden brown.
6. Serve with plum sauce.

Let’s do the Plum Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 4 tablespoons pickled plums or apricots flesh

Method

1. Dissolve sugar in the vinegar, add the plums and simmer over low heat.  Keep stirring until sticky.
2. Remove from heat and serve with the spring rolls.

Tips

• When frying the spring rolls make sure that the oil is not too hot and keep turning them around with a kitchen tong so they will brown evenly.
• From this recipe you can make four small spring rolls or two big ones.
• They can be sawed diagonally in half with a bread knife so they do not break or crumble.
• Delicious plum sauce can be bought at any good Asian supermarket.