DIY Spring Rolls

*This blog was written and mostly put together by Colin. Spring Rolls are a good thing to make with a group or at least a few people, so it was a bit of a joint effort. I have been taught to make and roll spring rolls by my good Asian friends and we owe the success of these to them. – Trisha

Author: Colin Martin

I’ve been wanting to try making spring rolls since we weren’t able to get our annual haul from Grace Lao Mennonite Church at the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale.

They make the

BEST

SPRING ROLLS

EVER!

While we won’t claim to match their expertise, we’d like to think these come close. These are certainly better than anything we’ve found at a grocery store. Trying to get a spring roll recipe from an Asian is a little like trying to get Grandma’s bread recipe. They don’t have measurements. They just put in what’s right.

You may need to visit an Asian or ethnic grocery store to find spring roll wrappers. While the Real Canadian Superstore carried the little spring roll wrappers, we needed to visit an ethnic store to find the larger wrappers. We bought the Spring Home brand with 20 sheets in a package.

Hopefully these instructions can help you craft some spring rolls you definitely can’t buy in the frozen food section of the grocery store.

Soak two bundles of the vermicelli noodles in hot tap water for 10 minutes. Cut into shorter lengths after soaking. A kitchen scissors works well for this. Drain the noodles.

While the noodles are soaking, the vegetables can be shredded. Combine the vegetables, noodles, pork, salt, pepper, sugar, MSG, sauces, and 1 egg. If you want to taste test it, microwave a small amount for 1 minute or until done and adjust flavours and ingredients as needed.

Fork the mixture onto spring roll wrappers, keeping it towards one corner. (Keep a damp towel over the stack of spring roll wrappers until you need them.) Fold the corner over the mixture, fold in the sides, roll, and seal with egg wash. Trish is pretty good at this process!

Deep fry in oil heated to about 350°F until golden and cooked through. Never mind the sesame seeds floating in our oil. I deep fried some sesame balls first.

I usually try to eat a spring roll right away, then burn my tongue. They stay hot for awhile! Enjoy with your favourite dipping sauce. We like Rooster Brand’s Sweet Chili Sauce which can typically be found at Zehrs, Real Canadian Superstore, No Frills, and probably some other grocery stores.

DIY Spring Rolls

Recipe by Colin MartinCourse: DinnerCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

40

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

These are the closest we have made to the best spring rolls we have ever tasted!

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, shredded

• 4-5 cups shredded cabbage

• 3-4 cups shredded carrots

• 1 package bean sprouts (454 g/1 lb.)

• 2 bundles vermicelli noodles

• 1 lb. ground pork

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• 1 Tbsp sugar

• 1 Tbsp MSG (monosodium glutamate) *

• 3 Tbsp oyster sauce

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• 2 eggs, whisked but used separately

• 40 8.5” spring roll wrappers

• Oil for deep frying

Directions

• Soak two bundles of vermicelli noodles in warm water for 10 minutes. Cut the noodles and drain. Mix with vegetables, pork, seasonings, sauces, and 1 egg.
• Spoon or fork onto spring roll wrappers, roll, and seal with egg.
• Deep fry at about 360°F until golden and cooked through.
• Enjoy with your favourite dipping sauce.

Notes

• * MSG is a flavour enhancer that might be found in the international aisle at your grocery store. If you don’t have it, don’t worry. A good Asian friend tells us the onion and oyster sauce are more important for flavour. 
• Cook time is dependent on what pot you are deep frying in and how many you can do at a time.