Spring Rolls (Extra Crispy and Best Recipe!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Chinese spring rolls and Filipino spring rolls? ›

Lumpia was passed on to the Philippines by Chinese settlers from Fujian China, it has a basic resemblance to Chinese egg rolls. The wrappers for Lumpia Shanghai tend to be thinner than the traditional Chinese spring roll wrappers. Lumpia Shanghai also tends to be longer while spring rolls are fatter.

Both types are deep-fried and are also wrapped in cylindrical shapes. Meanwhile, most Thai spring rolls aren't deep-fried. Instead, its vegetable filling is wrapped in delicate rice paper and usually enjoyed with peanut sauce.

Fried spring rolls are generally small and crisp. They can be sweet or savoury; the former often with red bean paste filling, and the latter are typically prepared with vegetables. They are fully wrapped before being pan-fried or deep-fried. Non-fried spring rolls are typically bigger and more savoury.

There are two options: freeze-wrapped spring rolls and deep fry when you are ready to enjoy. Or what I like to do is fry all of them for 3 minutes (70% cooked), let them cool down, and freeze. When I am ready to enjoy, I pop them into the air fryer or oven at 370F for 7 minutes, and it becomes super crispy!

In the US, spring rolls are usually filled with cabbage, carrots, glass noodles, and pork, and wrapped in either a thin crisp wrapper (spring roll) or a thicker crunchy wrapper (egg roll).

An egg roll is a fried, savory roll filled with shredded cabbage, ground or roast pork or shrimp and other ingredients inside a wonton wrapper or thick, wheat flour wrapper. Egg rolls are thought to have been invented in New York City's Chinatown restaurants in the 1930s.

Fresh and full of texture, Vietnam's spring rolls are known and loved worldwide. However, the country has a more passionate love affair with hand-rolled bites than you might expect. From the ultra-fresh to the deep fried, món cuốn dishes are culinary staples across the country.

Popiah (also spelled poh piah), meaning “thin pancake” in Teochew, is a thin paper-like crepe or pancake wrapper stuffed with a filling made of cooked vegetables and meat. When deep fried, the crispy roll is more commonly known as a spring roll, but if the wrapper is as is, it is known as popiah.

The origin of spring rolls can be linked back to China. Originally made for Chinese New Year banquets, spring rolls were stacked to look like bars of gold. Spring rolls got their name because the New Year marks the start of spring in the lunar calendar.

After dipping, put the paper on a flat work surface. If you're making a bunch of rolls in advance of serving, work in batches and use a large work surface like a cutting board, inverted baking sheet, tray, or dishtowel.

What are spring rolls called in China? ›

They are a large variety of filled, rolled appetizers or Dim Sum found in East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine. The name is a literal translation of the Chinese chūn juǎn (春卷 'spring roll').

Generally, spring rolls are healthier. In Vietnam and Thailand, spring rolls are packed with raw vegetables and fresh herbs. The rolls are also made with a thinner wrapper than egg rolls and often served fresh, rather than fried.

Traditionally, Chinese spring rolls are deep-fried. This process creates crispy wrappers that make this dish very attractive. You'll need an oil that has a neutral flavor and a high smoking point, e.g. sunflower, rapeseeds, canola, peanut, soybean, vegetable oil, etc.

You maybe rolling them a bit too tightly, putting too much stress on the wrapper, so that the added pressure of the steam causes them to rupture. You can try rolling them looser, or add a bit less filling and roll them to the same size(which is really 2 ways of saying the same thing.)

Cook the vegetables until just tender. Overcooked vegetables will make for a mushy filling and thus a mushy spring roll. While wrapping, when you fold the sides over the filling in the center, try to keep the sides straight and parallel.

Lumpia are fried spring rolls that are found in Filipino and Indonesian cuisines. The rolls traditionally feature a thin pastry skin (a.k.a. a lumpia wrapper) and are often stuffed with a savory mixture of ground pork and vegetables.

Both egg rolls and lumpia are variations on spring rolls but there are obvious differences between the two. An egg roll is typically heavily stuffed with cabbage, meat, and/or other veggies and has a thick wrapper made of wheat and eggs. Lumpia, on the other hand, have a thinner and more delicate wrapping.

Lumpiang Shanghai

But it's much denser than other spring rolls because of the addition of an egg binder and the tightness with which they're wrapped. Lumpiang Shanghai are also long and skinny, like cigars, but sometimes cut up into bite-size pieces. Filipinos dip theirs in banana ketchup or sweet chili sauce.

Lumpia Wrappers

Lumpia are a Filipino-style version of spring rolls. Typically made from flour, cornstarch, and water, lumpia wrappers are thin and delicate, but strong enough to hold fillings. You can serve either serve lumpia fresh or fried.