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Spring Rolls

Chinese name: 春卷 (chūn juǎn)
Characteristics: Spring Rolls are brittle on the outside and tender inside. When you eat it, you will find it crispy on the first bite soft and aromatic on the second bite because of the special cooking method and different vegetables wrapped inside.

Spring Rolls, named Chun Juan or Chun Bing in Chinese, are a traditional snack of the Han people, particularly in the southern area of the Yangtze River. As with the name, they are most eaten in spring, in the hope of welcoming a lively spring. Many people eat them at the Beginning of the Spring (Li Chun, one of the 24 Solar Terms) for celebration, which is alike having dumplings during the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival).

Although an ordinary snack, Spring Rolls are also cooked to treat distinguished guests. Spring Rolls have different Chinese names in different parts of the country.. For example, “Chun Juan” is popular in Fujian, while people call it “Mo You Zi” or “Jiao Bing Tong” in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces. They also vary in size from region to region. For example, Shanghai Spring Rolls are as thin as fingers, usually 3 inches (8 centimeters) and very adorable; while those in Zhejiang and Fujian Provinces are bigger, usually around 4 inches (10 centimeters).

Ingredients:

250g flour powder; two eggs; two mushrooms;
100g carrot; 300g celery; 80g bean curd skin;
green onion; five cloves of garlic; ginger.

Seasonings:

cooking oil; salt; pepper; sesame oil.

Note: The amounts of the ingredients and seasonings can be varied according to one's personal taste.

Preparation:

1. Making Flour Dough: PoPour flour into a basin and crack an egg inside. Mix well. Make a hole in the center and add a small quantity of water. Stir with a pair of chopsticks to mix. Continue to add small quantities of water and stir until the dough forms small pieces. Sprinkle some more water on the pieces and stir until they make a paste. Knead and smooth it out. Cover the dough and let it stand for 20-30 minutes.

Note: Knead the dough again while it is fermenting to make it smoother.
2. Making the Fillings:

Clean carrot, celery, mushrooms, and bean curd skin and chop them. Put them in a basin.

Remove the husk of garlic and peel the ginger. Clean and chop them. Add them to the vegetable mixture.

Drip some sesame oil on the vegetables and stir until completely mixed.

Note: Besides the vegetables used in this recipe, it is fine to choose other vegetables as fillings.
3. Clean the green onion and cut it into small pieces. Place in a small plate or bowl.
4. Crack an egg and whisk to fully combine the egg white and yolk.

Methods:

STEP

Making the Wrappers: Take out the prepared dough and knead it smooth. Roll the dough flat with a rolling pin. Continue rolling until it is almost transparent. Fold the dough sheet and cut it into 4in×4in (10cm×10cm) squares. Now the wrappers are ready.

STEP

Stir-frying the Filling: Preheat a wok. Pour in some cooking oil and heat it until hot. Add the chopped green onions and stir-fry for 5-10 seconds until the fragrance appears. Pour the filling (made in Preparation step 2) into the wok. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes to ensure all cooking oil is absorbed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to mix the seasonings with all ingredients. Place the mixture in a basin.

STEP

Making Spring Rolls: Take a piece of wrapper, put some filling in the center, fold one edge to cover the fillings, and then fold the two edges of the left and right sides. Roll the wrapper with the fillings inside. Place several drops of egg (Preparation step 4) on the last edge to seal it. Now the Spring Roll is finished. Make more in the same way.

STEP

Frying Spring Rolls: Add 400-500ml cooking oil into a clean wok and heat it until hot. Add the Spring Rolls one by one and fry 2 minutes until they turn golden. Remove them to a plate. Don't eat any until they cool down. Wait at least 2-3 minutes!

The Spring Rolls are finished. You can use several pieces of vegetable leaves as garnish. Wow, the golden Spring Rolls are so lovely! Pick one and have a taste.

More Staple Food and Snacks in China:

Further Reading:
Top 10 Chinese Dishes You Must Try

- Last updated on Apr. 14, 2021 -

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