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Close up of golden spring rolls on a lined baking tray.

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Golden and crispy classic Chinese vegetable spring rolls that are going to knock your socks off with flavour and generosity! Ideal for entertaining and a must-have food eaten during Chinese New year!
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 53 minutes
Servings: 20 rolls
Calories: 110kcal

Ingredients

  • 20 sheets frozen spring roll pastry sheets covered with a damp tea towel
  • deep frying oil canola, vegetable or sunflower oil

Vegetable spring roll filling

  • 500 g (1.1 lb) napa cabbage finely sliced
  • 1 carrot cut into matchsticks
  • 5 dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrate, drain, finely sliced (note 1)
  • ⅓ cup dried wood ear mushrooms rehydrate, drain, finely sliced (note 1)
  • 2 spring onions finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon oil neutral tasting - eg. canola, vegetable or sunflower oil

To serve

  • sweet chilli sauce

Instructions

Prepare vegetable filling

  • In a large frying pan or wok, saute spring onions and garlic with ½ tablespoon of oil. Once lightly golden and fragrant, add napa cabbage. Stir fry on medium heat until cabbage is softened. About 5 minutes, then remove and set aside.
  • In the same pan, saute shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms with the remaining ½ tablespoon of oil until fragrant and lightly golden. About 2 minutes.
  • Add carrots and saute for 2 minutes then add the cabbage mixture back into the pan. Add soy sauce, salt, white pepper and sesame oil. Stir fry over medium heat until carrots are tender and liquids released from the cabbage have been cooked out.
  • Transfer the filling mixture into a large mixing bowl to cool down slightly.

Roll the spring rolls [see step-by-step images above]

  • Place a pastry sheet onto the working surface diagonally, with a corner pointing towards you. Spoon ~2 tablespoons worth of filling onto the corner closest towards you, about halfway down the middle of the pastry.
  • Roll up halfway in the shape of a sausage then fold in the right-hand side of the pastry towards the centre. Then, do the same thing with the left-hand side. This seals the ends.
  • With one hand holding down the half-rolled pastry, use the other hand to dampen the remaining unfolded corner of the pastry with a little water. Roll over and seal the spring roll.
  • Repeat to make ~20 rolls.

Deep fry until golden

  • Preheat deep frying oil in a heavy-based pot (I use a cast iron pot as it's sturdy and well insulated). Once the oil has reached about 160°C - 180°C (320°F - 360°F), it's ready. (note 2)
  • Deep fry spring rolls in 2 batches, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch over medium heat or until deep golden and crispy.
  • Serve with sweet chilli sauce.

Video

Notes

1. Rehydrate the mushrooms by submerging boiling water, covered for ~20 minutes. 
2. Test readiness of the frying oil using a chopstick. I find this to be the easiest method. Simply dip the tip of a wooden chopstick into the hot oil and if it sizzles immediately then the oil is hot enough to deep fry with. Alternatively, drop a small piece of spring roll pastry in, if it sizzles happily then the oil is ready. Otherwise, use a candy thermometer.
Dehydrated wood ear mushrooms,  shiitake mushrooms and spring roll pastry. Can be found at most Asian supermarkets. If you're in Australia, both Woolworths and Coles sell them now!
Make ahead. Freezing spring rolls is no different to freezing dumplings (like my popular easy pork wontons):
  1. Line rolled spring rolls neatly in a large, lined baking tray or board that can fit in your freezer. Make sure there is a little space between each roll so they do not stick together (important!). Freeze for about 1 hour (or until frozen/hard).
  2. Once frozen, store in air-tight containers or freezer-friendly zip lock bags in the freezer.
 
Alternative cooking method (healthy method):
  • Oven-bake method: line spring rolls on a lined baking tray and brush with oil. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven at 220°C (430°F) for 15 - 20 minutes or until golden and crispy. I did not turn them halfway through and they still turned out crispy all over.
  • Air fryer method: brush spring rolls with oil then place in a preheated air fryer in a single layer. Air fry at 200°C (390°F) for 8 minutes or until golden on both sides and crispy. Flip halfway to ensure crispy on both sides.
 
Nutritional values below are estimates.
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Nutrition

Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 601IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.2mg