- Prep time30 mins
- Cook time20 mins
- Servings4 (about 12 rolls)
- DifficultyMedium
- CategoryChinese
A spring roll should shatter when you bite it — that comes from a thin wheat wrapper, a dry filling, and oil at exactly the right temperature. The filling is stir-fried hot and fast, then cooled completely before rolling; warm filling steams the wrapper from inside and no amount of frying saves it. Roll them tight — air pockets become oil pockets.
Ingredients
- 12 spring roll wrappers, thawed
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus more for deep frying
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 100 g (3.5 oz) bean sprouts
- 3 spring onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 2 tbsp flour mixed with 3 tbsp water (sealing paste)
- Sweet chili sauce, to serve
Method
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok over high heat. Stir-fry the garlic 30 seconds, then add the cabbage, carrot and bell pepper; toss 2 minutes until just wilted.
- Add the bean sprouts, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and white pepper. Toss 1 minute more. Spread on a tray and cool completely.
- Lay a wrapper diamond-wise. Place 2 tbsp of filling near the bottom corner. Fold the bottom over, fold in the sides, and roll tightly. Seal the tip with flour paste.
- Heat oil to 175 C (350 F). Fry the rolls in batches, 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until deep golden and blistered.
- Drain on a rack and serve hot with sweet chili sauce.
Tips for success
- Cool the filling completely — this single step prevents soggy rolls.
- Keep unused wrappers under a damp cloth; they dry out and crack in minutes.
- Fry at a steady 175 C — too cool and they absorb oil, too hot and they brown before crisping.
Watch video tutorial
Prefer to watch it being made? This from Asha in Kitchen walkthrough covers the same spring rolls step by step — the spoken narration doubles as an audio tutorial.