Vegetable spring rolls are a popular Asian appetizer made by wrapping a savory mixture of finely shredded vegetables in a thin pastry wrapper, then frying until golden and crispy. The filling typically includes ingredients like cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and glass noodles, all lightly seasoned with garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil to bring out their natural flavors.

These rolls are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, offering a perfect balance of texture and taste. They're often served with a dipping sauce like sweet or hot chilli sauce.

Vegetable spring rolls are vegetarian-friendly, easy to make at home, and can be customized with your favorite veggies. They're perfect as a starter, snack, or side dish and are especially popular during parties, family dinners, or as part of a festive spread.

INGREDIENTS

Spring Roll wrappers - 8-10

Cabbage - 150g

Carrots - 100g

Shiitake Mushrooms (dry) -20g or 5 mushrooms

Black Fungus (dry) - 10g

Salt - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

White Pepper - 1/2 tbsp

Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp

Sesame Oil - 1 tbsp

Garlic - 5 cloves

Potato Starch - 1 tbsp (optional)

Cooking Oil - 3 tbsp

Cooking Oil (for deep fry) - 2 cup (can be reused)

FLOUR GLUE

Plain flour - 1 tbsp

Water - 2 tbsp

Soaking Shiitake Mushrooms and Black Fungus

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preparing the ingredients

Soak dried black fungus and dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water to rehydrate them—this takes about 30 minutes. Once softened, remove the tough stems from the shiitake mushrooms and slice both mushrooms into thin strips.
At the same time, soak a bunch of vermicelli in warm water. These glass noodles, also called bean vermicelli, are easily found in Asian supermarkets. Once they’ve softened, drain the warm water, rinse them under cold water, and use scissors to cut them into shorter strands.
Thinly slice some cabbage and carrots. You can also add other vegetables of your choice, but avoid those with high water content, as they can make the spring rolls soggy.
Mince 5 cloves of garlic. Some people like to add grated ginger as well, but I find that it can overpower the flavors, so I’m keeping it simple with just garlic.

Preparing the Spring Roll Filling

Heat 4 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok—I'm using sunflower oil. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, then add the shiitake mushrooms and black fungus. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
Next, add the carrots and cook for 1 minute, followed by the cabbage, which you sauté for another 30 seconds.
Finally, add the glass noodles and season the mixture with salt, sugar, white pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil. After adding the seasonings, mix everything well to ensure the flavors are evenly combined.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed—the filling should be delicious and flavorful enough to enjoy even without dipping sauce.
Optional step - add 1 tablespoon of potato starch if you feel that the filling has excess liquid. The potato starch will soak up the excess liquid and bind the ingredients better.
Once done, remove the filling from the stove and let it cool to room temperature. For quicker cooling, you can place it in the freezer for a few minutes.

Making the spring rolls

While waiting for the filling to cool, remove the spring roll wrappers from the package. They usually stick tightly together, so peel them off one by one and place them on a plate or baking tray. Cover them with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
Once the filling has cooled, place about two tablespoons of filling in the center of each wrapper. Roll it up halfway, then fold in the two sides and continue rolling. Use a bit of flour paste as glue on the tip to seal the spring roll so it doesn’t unravel during frying.
Place each wrapped spring roll back under the damp cloth until all 8 to 10 rolls are ready.
Heat about 2 cups of oil in a wok and fry the spring rolls in two batches. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the wrappers turn golden and crispy. Keep in mind the filling is already cooked.
Drain the spring rolls on a wire rack to remove any excess oil before serving.

Hope you enjoy the recipe. Watch the Youtube video for detailed instructions.

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