Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Spring Roll

Next week, my group member and I will complete our MBI course.  On top of that we are assigned to carry out a project.  We were given different topic.  My group will be on `Food'.  We are going to highlight about an outside food which is popular and well accepted by Malaysian.  Actually there are many outside food like tom yam from Thailand, pizza from Italy, sushi from Japan, kebab from Turkey, burger from USA, bakso from Indonesia the list goes on that is already popular and well accepted by the locals. 
After a small discussion we came to our final decision.  We chose spring roll from China!

How to make spring rolls


Spring rolls: a taste of China in a crunchy little envelope (Image: Radio86) 
Spring rolls: a taste of China in a crunchy little envelope

It won't be long before spring ends and summer starts, and as such it might seem out of place to write about deep-fried pastry packages like spring rolls. But then these crunchy little snacks are so fantastic, I'm sure the timing is justified. A lot of people think they're difficult, but once you learn how to make spring rolls, they get easier and easier.
Spring rolls are said to have originated during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317 – 420). In China they are called 'chūn juǎn' which literally means 'Spring Roll'. Traditionally they were eaten during the Spring Festival to celebrate the new year and the beginning of spring, but nowadays they are eaten all year round.
Spring rolls are great fun to make yourself and not difficult at all once you get the hang of it. This recipe is for a traditional filling but you can, of course, vary it to your taste. For inspiration, you might like to check this article on alternative spring roll fillings. For the crispiest result nothing can beat deep frying, but if that's not a possibility in your kitchen, or if you are counting the calories, the oven will do just fine.

Ingredients (makes about 15 spring rolls)
200g chicken breast fillets, cut into pea-sized pieces
 (optional)
2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon freshly grated root ginger
Handful of Chinese cabbage (finely sliced)
2 large spring onions, finely sliced lengthways
1 small carrot, cut into julienne strips and briefly boiled to soften
1 handful of Chinese glass-noodles (prepared as instructed on the package)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
sea salt and ground pepper
1 egg, beaten
15 large or 30 small spring roll wrappers, thawed if frozen, and kept under a damp cloth to prevent drying out.
2 tablespoons of groundnut, sunflower or vegetable oil for the filling, plus enough for deep frying the spring rolls. The amount will depend on the size of your pan.

Method
1.Add one tablespoon of oil to a hot wok, and then add the chicken, five-spice powder and one tablespoon of soy sauce and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool. Clean the wok.
2.Pour another tablespoon of oil into the wok and add the ginger, cabbage, spring onions and carrot. Stir-fry for about a minute and then add one tablespoon of soy sauce, one tablespoon of oyster sauce and the noodles. Remove from the heat and mix in with the chicken.
3.Take one sheet of spring roll wrapper and place it in front of you so that one corner is facing you. Brush the edges with egg. Place 2 tablespoons of filling a bit below the center of the wrap. Fold the bottom point over the filling and tuck in gently but firmly. Fold the right side over the wrap, and then the left side. Roll it up as a tight package and seal the top with more egg wash.
4.Heat the oil in a pan or wok to 180 degrees, or until a 1cm cube of white bread turns brown in 15 seconds. You should use enough oil to fully submerge the spring rolls. How much oil you need will depend on the size of your pan. 1 to 2 litres should do the trick. Caution: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.
5.Fry the spring rolls 3 or 4 at a time for 2 to 3 minutes until they are golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent kitchen paper to dry.
6.To serve: sprinkle with finely chopped spring onions and sweet and sour dipping sauce.

To all my beloved followers..`Happy Cooking'.

No comments:

Post a Comment