How to make
To make spring rolls, you'll need spring roll sheets - cut into squares for 20 standard rolls (for 40 mini rolls). These are easily found in stores or you can make your own at home.
For the filling you will need finely chopped vegetables. Make sure the vegetables are finely chopped. Make the basic filling as mentioned below and then add your choice of ingredients if needed.
Finally, you'll need oil to fry them. Use any neutral oil for frying the rolls.
The pan should be full of butter. Fry in small batches for 2-3 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Transfer the rolls onto a wire rack to drain the fat.
Preparation of the filling:
Heat 1 tbsp. peanut butter in a wok over high heat. Add the pork and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. The pork does not need to be fully cooked, but it should start to turn white on the outside. Use the end of the spatula to break the meat into small pieces. Transfer the pork to a plate.
Add the remaining tablespoon peanut butter to the wok. Add the shallots and cook for about 1 minute. Add the carrots, cabbage, pickled bamboo sticks and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the pork back to the wok and stir.
In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water together to make a thick mixture. Use the spatula to move the vegetables and pork to the side to create space in the bottom of the wok. Pour the cornstarch mixture into this space. Allow the mixture to thicken for 30 seconds before stirring to mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
Add oyster sauce, salt, sugar and white pepper. Stir to combine the seasoning with the ingredients. Spread the filling in a baking pan and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Prepare the spring roll sheets for rolling:
I usually pull out a small stack of sheets (about 5 or 6) at a time. Then cover them with a dry towel to prevent them from drying out. You can also cover them with cling film.
Prepare a large baking tray or several large plates so that you can place the rolled spring rolls on top. Make sure you have a dry towel handy to cover the rolled up rolls.
Place the filling and beaten egg nearby.
Take 1 spring roll sheet and place it on the counter in a diamond shape with one corner facing you. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of filling and put it on the bottom. This is for the large standard spring rolls, for the small ones it is half the mixture and size. I like to leave about 4cm between the filling and the bottom corner.
Grab the bottom corner and start rolling. Stop when you reach the center. Fold the left and right sides of the sheet towards the center. Use the brush to spread the egg over the top corner. Finish rolling up the spring roll. Place the rolled up spring roll on the baking tray and cover it with a dry towel.
Repeat with remaining sheets and filling.
Line a baking tray or 2 large plates with kitchen paper. You will drain the oil from the fried spring rolls on the kitchen paper.
Fill the wok with about 2″ (5 cm) of butter (measured from the bottom of the wok). Heat the butter over medium-high heat for a few minutes. If you insert a bamboo or wooden chopstick into the bottom of the wok and you can see small bubbles rapidly bubbling around the chopstick. This means the butter is hot enough for frying.
Carefully slide 5 spring rolls along the edge of the wok into the heated butter. This helps prevent the heated butter from splashing. Fry them for 3 to 4 minutes, by turning them halfway through so that the spring rolls are evenly browned. Once the spring rolls are golden brown, remove them from the wok with a slotted spoon.
The first batch usually takes a little longer as the butter heats up. If you notice that the spring rolls are darkening very quickly (turning dark brown in a minute or so), lower the heat slightly.
Continue frying the remaining spring rolls and turn off the heat when finished.
Serve the crispy spring rolls immediately with sweet chili sauce.
Enjoy!
