Vegan Fried Spring Rolls
These vegan spring rolls are a fantastic recipe to entertain your friends and family. Each one is packed with minced tofu, shiitake mushrooms and sweet potato which give it an amazing texture and flavour.
Servings 50 spring rolls
Calories 53kcal
Ingredients
- 1 L boiling water
- 8 dried shiitake mushrooms finely chopped
- 10 gm dried shredded wood ear mushroom / black fungus, roughly chopped (available at Asian groceries)
- 250 gm sweet potato, mashed
- 150 gm firm tofu, mashed
- 1 small onion (80 gm), finely chopped
- 100 gm cabbage, finely shredded
- 100 gm carrot, shredded
- 1 tbsp oil
- 40 gm bean thread, rinsed under the tap and cut into 2 cm pieces
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt (or a good pinch)
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 50 medium (12.5 cm x 12.5 cm) spring roll wrappers with no egg, thawed
Cornstarch Glue
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp water
Dipping Sauce
- Sweet chilli sauce
Instructions
Spring Roll Filling
- Cut the shiitake mushrooms into quarters with a pair of kitchen scissors and soak them in a bowl with plenty of boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes
- Add the black fungus into a bowl with plenty of boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes.
- Prep the vegetables. Remember to dry the vegetables with kitchen towels whenever possible.
- Finely chop the sweet potato and put it into a bowl. Add a 1 tbsp of water, cover the bowl with cling wrap and put it in the microwave for 4.5 minutes on high. With a fork, mash the sweet potato and leave aside uncovered.
- Cut the tofu into smaller chunks and mash it with your fingers in a large bowl. Using paper towels, squash the tofu against the bowl to remove moisture. Leave aside
- Take out the shiitake mushrooms and squeeze out the liquid. Pat dry and chop. Repeat with the black fungus.
- Heat a non stick frying pan on medium and a tbsp of oil. Sweat the onions until starting to turn golden
- Add the mashed tofu, shiitake mushrooms and black fungus and fry for a few minutes. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce, salt and pepper. Continue stirring and cook off the moisture for at least 5 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
- In a bowl, add the cabbage, carrot, sweet potato, rinsed bean thread and sugar. Mix well. Then add the cooled tofu mixture and combine well with your hands. (Make sure to fully incorporate the mashed sweet potato.)
- Allow the to sit for 15 minutes so that that bean thread can soak up the liquid in the mixture.
- Add the cornstarch and 2 tbsp of water into a small bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds or until it goes gooey.
Rolling (Please refer to pictures above)
- Separate 10 or so spring roll wrappers at a time and put rest back into the packaging. Do not separate them all at once because they will dry out.
- Place a heaped teaspoon or a scant tbsp of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Spread the filling out in a small log shape and compact it down with your fingers.
- Fold the side corners towards the middle and press down around the filling to make sure it is compacted.
- Lift the bottom corner over the filling and roll tightly without squeezing the filling out.
- Finish the roll with a bit of cornstarch glue on the top corner to keep it together.
Frying
- Add enough vegetable oil to a pot so that the depth is at least 3 cm. Heat the oil on medium heat.
- Slide the spring rolls into the oil one at a time and be careful of splash back. Try not to overcrowd the pot with spring rolls. If the spring rolls are frozen, then remove any ice on the pastry first.
- Cook the spring rolls until they are floating on top of the oil and are a golden colour.
- Take them out with a slotted spoon or a pair of tongs and let them drain on a rack. Do not let them cool on top of each other.
- Repeat and serve ASAP.
Nutrition
Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1047IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg