Friday, January 11, 2008

Thai Spring Rolls

This is the ultimate hands-on food. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like this recipe from my friend Wendy J. When I make it, I like to prep it in the morning and then put the filling in the fridge. The girls and I roll them just before dinner and fry them up. We like to eat the sauce hot, so I make it while the rolls are frying.

You will need:
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Carrots
Green Onions
2 Chicken Breasts, cooked and chopped (I like mine marinated in soy or teriyaki)
Cabbage or prepared Mung Bean thread for the adventurous
3 eggs, scrambled
Garlic, Soy Sauce to season
1-2 pkgs of Egg Roll Wrappers (usually found in the produce section)

For the Sauce:
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 Sweet Chili Sauce

First, get out your largest skillet. Heat to medium and pour 1/2 - 1 cup water in the bottom. Chop all the vegetables. I like to use my Food Chopper from Pampered Chef. Add cauliflower and broccoli:

Add carrots:

Add green onion and chicken breasts:

Stir it up, put the lid on. If you are using cabbage, it makes a nice flavor - add it now. I usually add either mung beand thread or cabbage, but not both. It just makes too much filling. Cook until veggies are steamed. Add soy sauce till you get a flavor you like. Scramble up your eggs and throw them in at the end. Now you can put your filling in the fridge or start rolling.

Place about 1/4 cup of filling on the upper part of the roll:

Pull the bottom of the wrapper up and tuck under the filling:

Fold the sides up like a present (see how the bottom edges line up?):

Moisten the top edge with water:

Roll up tightly and seal (repeat about 20 times per pkg):

Heat your oil. Cook about 1-2 minutes per side. Keep a close eye on it. They should be nice and golden brown.

Or else, you'll have burnt offerings:

Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and boil:

It will be quite thin, you can add corn starch. We like to put the sauce in little bowls on each person's plate. Usually we pour the sauce over the eggroll. Bite, pour, bite, pour - like that. It's just not the same if you use a knife and fork; to really enjoy this meal, you need to use your hands. It's like the Thai version of pizza.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

I use my Pampered Chef chopper for egg rolls, too! It makes it so nice and you don't have long stringy things pulling out as you eat!

Yum!

Montserrat said...

As much as I like egg rolls I've never tried making my own before. This looks pretty easy! Now I just have to remember to buy the wrappers.

Anonymous said...

Those look great! I think I"m starting to get hungry. Could you come over and make a few for me? hee hee

Mahalo for stopping by!

Jennifer @ Fruit of My Hands said...

This looks really good! May I share your recipe at Mommy What's For Dinner?

Mrs. O said...

This is one of the tastiest at-home asian-inspired recipes I've tried. The sauce really makes it.

I intend to play around with brushing the wrappers with olive oil and baking them on a stone - to see if I can make it lower fat.

Jen - yes, go ahead. Let me know if you decide to make it.

Anonymous said...

Mmmm... Can I just say... ummmm....
Those look heavenly.
Yummy.
Can't wait to hear if the EVOO/stone technique is equally mmmm.
:)

Heffalump said...

I love homemade egg rolls, but they are time consuming. I usually just make up my own recipe, but I will have to give yours a try...it looks great!

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to try these.

The wonderful thing about homemade spring rolls or won tons is having left over wrappers. I like to stir a little sugar into some cream cheese and put equal parts cream cheese and cherry pie filling in then fry. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and you have dessert, too!

Lei said...

Uh, yum!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adria said...

These are delicious. And if you fry them in coconut oil you don't have to feel guilty about eating them. I haven't made these in a very long time, but now you've got me wanting them.

Mrs. O said...

The cherry pie filling and cream cheese sounds delicious - I'm going to try that next time.

And coconut oil - I bet that would taste great and it's 'less filling' as they say.

Up in Bubbles said...

I cannot tell you how much I wish I could have been their to taste those. I have been craiving those since Enterpize Ut. I am so jelouse and hungary right now after looking at those Pictures. I don't remember that many things but i do remember food and I remember loving those. Maybe we can make them next time I come. I might have to wait 2 years, but it wouldbe worth it.

Mrs. O said...

When I come out there, I'll be sure to pack my chopper and we can make them together.

Up in Bubbles said...

It's a date

Up in Bubbles said...

Okay I just want to say I made these for my dinner group and they got rave reviews. Every family loved them. I also gave them the dessert filling with the cherry pie and cream cheese which they loved. The best was blueberry and cream cheese filling, so so yummy. I also rolled them in the cinnimon sugar mix. Delicious! Thanks so much for the idea and the great pictures and step by step directions.