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How to make the best Chinese spring rolls at home

I’m excited to share my recipe for Chinese spring rolls with you. 

These tasty treats are the perfect combination of crispy and savory, with a delicate wrapper enclosing a filling of your choice. Whether you prefer the classic pork with shrimp or a vegetarian option, they are perfect as an appetizer, a small bite for parties, and of course, for special occasions such as the forthcoming Chinese New Year.

As Cantonese, this is what we have enjoyed for decades. So, let’s get rolling and bring some oriental flavor into your kitchens during this festive season!

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Cantonese style. It tastes just like your favorite restaurant.

The name spring roll 春卷 symbolized the arrival of spring. Fried spring rolls also look like gold bars deemed auspicious by the Chinese during the new year.

Spring rolls are snacks found in South East Asian countries. They are served in Chinese restaurants in some Western countries as an appetizer. Interestingly, they are nearly never served as an appetizer in Asia, likely because serving appetizers before the main dish is uncommon. Instead, spring rolls are one of the items on the menu of dim sum restaurants.

How to make the Cantonese style Chinese spring rolls

As a Cantonese myself. This article will show you how to prepare Cantonese-style Chinese spring rolls.

The ingredients required for the Chinese spring rolls

There is no strict guideline on what to use for the spring roll filling. Ground pork, shrimp, and crunchy vegetables are the most common ingredients.

The vegetables I use in this recipe are minced pork, shrimp, yam bean, shredded napa cabbage, glass noodles (mung bean vermicelli / Tang Hoon/ 冬粉), shredded carrots, spring onions, and shiitake mushrooms. Incidentally, these are also the common ingredients for various Cantonese cuisine.

Since the ingredients are so flexible, I would list out some of the possible variations here:

  • For example, you can omit meat and shrimp to make vegetarian spring rolls. 
  • I suggest you use dry shiitake mushrooms instead of fresh ones. This is because dry mushrooms are more flavorful and aromatic than fresh mushrooms.
  • Other fresh vegetables are bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and bell pepper. Bell pepper is more common as a filling for American Chinese than traditional Chinese spring rolls.
Learn the secrets to making the perfect Chinese spring rolls, Cantonese style. It tastes just like your favorite restaurant.

Use the typical Cantonese seasonings

The main seasoning ingredients for the Chinese spring rolls are light soy sauce, white pepper powder, and oyster sauce. Other seasoning ingredients that you can include are fish sauce and hoisin sauce.

How to cook the spring roll filling

The preparation involves preparing and stir-frying. Here are the steps:

Preparation

  1. I minced the meat, preferably with some fat. You can purchase minced meat from the butcher to save time.
  2. Clean, devein and remove the shell and head of the shrimp.
  3. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water until soft, then cut them into either thin strips or dice.
  4. Cut the vegetables (carrot, cabbage, yam bean) into strips.
  5. Cut the spring onion into short sections.
  6. Soak the glass noodles in warm water until soft. Drain and cut them into two-inch lengths with scissors.

Note:

  • Yam bean is also called jicama. It is a type of local turnip widely used in Malaysia. You can use bean sprouts as a substitute if it is unavailable.
  • Glass noodles are also called cellophane noodles (冬粉). The noodles are made with vegetable starch, particularly mung bean. It is semitransparent when dry, and it becomes glass-like translucent after soaking. It has a unique slippery mouthfeel.

How to cook the filling

  1. Heat some oil in a wok.
  2. Stir-fry the meat and shrimp until fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
  3. Next, stir-fry the mushroom and other vegetables (except the spring onion) with the remaining oil until soft. You can add a splash of water if it is too dry.
  4. Return the meat and shrimp to the wok.
  5. Season with light soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and pepper.
  6. Stir-fry until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, 
  7. Finally, add the glass noodles and spring onions.
  8. Remove from the wok.

Note:

  • The ingredient must be cold before using it as a filling. Otherwise, the moisture from the filling will wet the wrapper and make it less crispy.
  • The filling must be dry. Therefore, it is best not to add too much water during stir-frying and drain the bean sprouts and glass noodles well.
Cantonese style fillings for spring rolls

How to wrap the spring rolls

Wrapping spring roll is like closing an envelope. Here are the steps:

  1. Place the filling slightly off-center on the spring roll skin (or wrapper). Then, roll up the spring roll skin from the side near you over the filling until halfway to encase the filling inside. It also helps to prevent the formation of air pockets inside the spring rolls.
  2. Fold the left and right sides inwards, like making an envelope.
  3. Apply some egg wash at the top corner of the wrapper, then roll the spring roll to seal it up. Otherwise, mix some flour with water to form a thick paste instead of using egg wash.

The spring rolls are ready to deep-fry.

Note: 

  1. You should keep the spring roll skin in the freezer before use. Then, when you want to use it, cut open the plastic bag and thaw at room temperature until you can separate each skin without breaking.
  2. I remove only one wrapper each time to wrap the spring roll. It is tidier to do this than having many wrappers on the work surface as they are pretty fragile. You must use all the loose wrappers because it is difficult to stack them up after detaching them from the original stack.
  3. I used one ounce of the filling for the wrapper measured 8.5 inches square.
  4. Spring roll wrappers are sold in Asian grocery stores. I do not suggest making the wrapper yourself, as the entire spring roll making process will become too lengthy. Most Chinese restaurants that I know use store-bought spring roll wrappers.
Learn the secrets to making the perfect spring rolls, Cantonese style. It tastes just like your favorite restaurant.

Deep-frying

I use an electric deep-fryer to make spring rolls in the restaurant. However, it is not practical at home as it requires too much oil.

The best way is to use a large skillet or a Dutch oven for deep-frying the spring rolls at home. The oil after frying is relatively clean, which can be used to stir-fry other dishes. 

Here are the steps:

  1. Heat the vegetable oil to about 180°C/355°F.
  2. Drop the spring rolls carefully into the oil near the surface one by one to prevent the oil from splashing. Do not crowd the spring rolls in the pan, as they will stick together, especially during the first minute.
  3. After the first minute, push the spring rolls around with a pair of chopsticks and flip them over from time to time to ensure even cooking.
  4. Deep-fried the spring rolls until golden brown.
  5. Remove them with a pair of tongs and place them on paper towels to remove the excess oil after deep frying.

To serve

There’s no need to make a dipping sauce for the Cantonese spring rolls. However, a good quality chili garlic sauce or sweet chili sauce is something that most Malaysians like.

Storage

I always make more spring rolls than required on the same day, as they can be kept in the freezer for a month or two with no noticeable flavor deterioration. But, of course, it is better to make them in advance, whether in the restaurant or preparing for the forthcoming festive or parties.

Below is the method to keep the spring rolls:

  1. After wrapping the spring rolls, place them in a single layer with the seam side down on a tray able to fit into your freezer. Make sure the spring rolls are separated to prevent them from sticking together.
  2. Cover the spring rolls with a piece of plastic sheet. Place them in the freezer until frozen.
  3. Once the spring rolls are frozen, remove them from the freezer, and arrange them in a large freezer-safe container. Individual frozen spring rolls will not stick together. I prefer to put the spring roll by layers in a crisscross manner. I then place a plastic sheet in between the layers.
  4. When you want to fry the spring rolls, remove from the freezer and deep-fry them directly. There is no need to defrost or thaw them at room temperature.

Are egg rolls and spring rolls the same?

An egg roll is similar to a spring roll but is American Chinese cuisine. The main difference is that the wrapper includes eggs, flour, and water.

The classic spring rolls are made with thin, light wrappers made of wheat flour. They are usually smaller than egg rolls. On the other hand, egg rolls are larger and with thicker wrappers.

The origin of egg rolls has yet to be established. However, the general theory is that it was created in the 1930s in New York City.

Egg rolls are always fried, and the skin is thicker, blistered, and bumpier than spring rolls. As for spring rolls, they are either fried, steamed, or baked.

What about summer rolls? 

Summer rolls are Vietnamese snacks made with thin rice paper wrappers. They are normally served cold and accompanied by a Vietnamese dipping sauce made with fish sauce, garlic, chili, and lime juice. Summer rolls are a common item as an appetizer or side dish.

Please refer to the summer rolls recipe on this blog.

Yield: 16 spring rolls

Chinese Spring Rolls (Cantonese style)

Chinese spring rolls recipe (2) square 2

Learn the secrets to making the perfect Chinese spring rolls, Cantonese style. It tastes just like your favorite restaurant.

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Ingredients A

Ingredients B (seasonings)

Instructions

How to cook the spring roll filling

  1. Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water until soft, then cut them into dice.
  2. Cut the vegetables (carrot, cabbage, yam bean) into strips.
  3. Cut the spring onion into short sections.
  4. Soak the glass noodles in warm water until soft. Drain and cut them into two-inch lengths with scissors.
  5. Heat some oil in a wok. Stir-fry the meat and shrimp until fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
  6. Next, stir-fry the mushroom and other vegetables (except the spring onion) with the remaining oil until soft. 
  7. Return the meat and shrimp to the wok.
  8. Add seasoning B.
  9. Stir-fry until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, 
  10. Finally, add the glass noodles and spring onions.
  11. Remove from the wok.

Wrap the spring rolls

  1. Wrap the spring roll as indicated in the recipe article, or follow the step in the YouTube video.

Deep-frying

  1. Heat the vegetable oil to about 180°C/355°F. 
  2. Drop the spring rolls carefully into the oil near the surface one by one to prevent the oil from splashing. 
  3. After the first minute, push the spring rolls around with a pair of chopsticks and flip them over from time to time to ensure even cooking.
  4. Deep-fried the spring rolls until golden brown.
  5. Remove and place them on paper towels to remove the excess oil after deep frying.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 92Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 302mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 08/01/2023

DavidF

Monday 9th of January 2023

Hi, I found you on Youtube and was really impressed with your channel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I have now found a "Master Chef" of Chinese Food, so I plan to learn from you. It is just too expensive for a family to eat at a Chinese Food Place anymore. We can't spend $15 dollars per plate, and you don't get many left-overs. So, it'd be ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS for my family to just eat basic meal. So, we have to do it at home now. When it was $5 or $6 bucks sure, but not almost THREE TIMES that now.

KP Kwan

Monday 9th of January 2023

Hi, this is KP Kwan. I am happy to see you in this comment area, as you have read through my recipe. I am glad to reply to any questions and comments as soon as possible.

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