What Are Egg Rolls
Egg rolls are a popular appetizer at American-Chinese restaurants and feature a vegetable or meat filling inside of a deep-fried egg and flour wrapper.
There is no single correct egg roll recipe. Instead, many restaurants do their own take on the filling, using a blend of vegetables, protein, and aromatics to achieve a balance of flavor and texture.
Some common ingredients youll find in an egg roll filling include cabbage, carrot, scallions, and garlic, as well as proteins like ground chicken, pork, or tofu. As a home cook, once you make sure that the main components of your egg roll are there, you can get as creative as you want with the ingredients.
Looking For Chinese Food Or Rather Something Closer To The Heart Lets Make Egg Rolls That Will Never Betray Our Trust
Naturally, we dont trust newcomers or in fact anybody who is different from us. This is why its much easier to be racist than to be open to newcomers.
Weve evolved to distrust each other, not because we are antisocial but for the same reason we keep our distance from unknown people, even in the modern world. Apparently, even today, the species that kills the most humans, are humans themselves.
In the past, humans from different tribes were much more ferocious than nowadays, and hunting on their territory would have had dire consequences. Its not a coincidence we have learnt to read the saddle movements of all the 40 or so muscles on each others faces.
Distrusting anybody new, or in fact anything new, was much safer than inviting them over for a shared roast on the spit.
The same distrust is still at work today in each one of us, with the only difference that since human psychology has been researched in the past couple of decades, our behavior has been laid bare for those willing to exploit it for their own gains.
Our trust can be easily penetrated by those who know the language to our guts and willing to invest a little time to persuade it. Once our gut feels happy about someone, we can stand behind them, chanting 3 -5 words long, easy to remember slogans.
We dont need much to trust. A cunning handshake, a couple of head nodding or confidently placed hand gestures all our guts need to be assured, we are dealing with a person of confidence.
How Do You Keep Spring Rolls From Sticking To Each Other
Sticky rice paper is common among the rolls. This is the simplest way to keep them from sticking to the surface of your work and getting wet. When working with a damp towel, it is also useful for rolling and preventing sticking.
The best way to store them is to roll them for a long period of time. It is possible to cover them with a dish towel or to keep them in the refrigerator for two days. Our cooking lesson will teach you how to make your favorite summer rolls.
If your spring rolls are peeling, they should not be allowed to hang out. Make certain that the grip is tight. Make sure the noodles dont become too hard, or theyll become stuck in your teeth and cause the spring rolls to fall apart. To seal the spring rolls, use cornstarch and hot water. When you put eggs in the pan, the egg wash tends to stain the spring roll, leaving dark spots visible after frying. You can get a clean, golden brown with cornstarch.
Read Also: Gluten Free Wide Egg Noodles
Oil Layers Stack And Re
Now here comes the wild part of making spring roll wrappers: you stack circles together, re-roll them even thinner, pre-cook them in a pan, and THEN peel them! When I learned about this part, I was mind-blown. This is why you want to make sure all the circles are the same size and shape.
Brush oil on one circle, then top with another circle, and repeat until you have a stack of four circles. I like to stop at four because its easier to re-roll. Use your rolling pin and carefully roll out the stack of circles until it becomes about nine to ten inches in diameter. Repeat this with the rest of the small circles.
I tried different versions of making these wrappers: trying to use my pasta machine to refrain from stacking and re-rolling, using cold water to help with the texture of the dough, and even individually pan frying each wrapper. This was all in an effort to make this an easier process. Spoiler, these shortcuts didnt work. This recipe is not meant for the faint of heart in the kitchen.
Easy Spring Roll Wrappers
Learn how to make spring roll wrappers at home with a simplified method, no dough kneading, no long time fermentation and only need 15 minutes to make.
I keep my promise and have been testing spring roll wrappers or egg roll wrappers at home in the last two weeks. And I finally figure out the key factors of paper thin and elastic spring roll wrappers, using the very traditional way. When I finally master the skills, my husband showed me his concern that the traditional method was hard to control and the readers might fail at the first attempts just like me. After so many times of cleaning up my cabinet surface, he strongly recommended that I should figure out a simplified version, the same as scallion pancakes. Since I think he offered a really great point. I started my journey and test again. So this is the result and it produces quite great results. The wrappers are slightly thicker than traditional version but thin enough and round enough! What’s better, I have matched those wrappers with several types of dishes. All of them tastes fabulous.
Recommended Reading: King Size Egg Crate Mattress Topper
Whats In A Spring Roll
The contents of a spring roll are entirely up to the chef, and also depend on the type of spring roll. A garden spring roll is filled with different veggies such as carrots, bell peppers, cabbage, and bamboo shoots. However, if its meat youre craving, a spring roll can be filled with pork, chicken, or shrimp, along with some vegetables.
If Your Egg Roll Wrapper Breaks Patch It
Take the corner of another wrapper, and brush it with egg wash . Place the egg washed patch over the hole. It should stick. Be sure to make the patch large enough to have some margin around the hole!
Now, with your fingers on top of the roll, continue tightly rolling the egg roll into a cigar shape until completely sealed.
Place the finished egg roll sealed side down on a wooden cutting board or a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat until youve assembled all the egg rolls.
You May Like: Big Green Egg On Sale
Making Vegan Egg Rolls
Vegans can enjoy egg rolls, too!
Keep your them animal-friendly by buying vegan egg roll wrappers at the store or making them yourself by following the egg roll wrapper recipe above but leaving out the egg. Make your vegan filling as desired, then use warm water when wrapping your egg rolls instead of an egg wash. You can get just as much umami flavor and crunch with a vegan egg roll as with a non-vegan one, and we bet nobody will even be able to tell the difference.
Can I Freeze Egg Rolls
Once youve wrapped your egg rolls, they work great in the freezer. It makes for a super easy snack or meal if youre in a rush. You can pull them out of the freezer and fry them straight from frozen without having to thaw them.
Egg rolls can keep in the freezer for several months, so its great to make a massive batch and keep some in the freezer for later.
You May Like: How Many Grams Of Protein Are In Eggs
How Long Do These Tortilla Egg Wraps Last
I’ve kept these in the fridge for a total of 4 days, when stored in a sealed container. If you won’t eat them within 4 days, I recommend freezing them. They reheat well!! Just make sure to allow them to cool completely at room temperature before placing them in the fridge, otherwise condensation will make them soggy.
Related recipe: Bell Pepper Eggs in a Hole
Can I Make Egg Rolls Without Meat
Egg rolls are commonly made with ground pork, ground chicken, or ground shrimp, but you can make egg rolls without meat! Egg rolls are super flexible. You can make them with whatever fillings your heart desires.
Maybe you want a nice spring roll style filling with shredded cabbage, carrots, green onions, garlic, ginger, or mushrooms with a bit of soy sauce and sesame oil. You can also add some tofu if you want some extra protein. Feel free to make your egg rolls your own.
Also Check: Difference Between White Eggs And Brown Eggs
How To Wrap Egg Rolls
Learning how to wrap egg rolls at home may seem difficult, but with a few tips, youll wonder why you didnt try making them sooner. Our family used to run a Chinese restaurant, and we wrapped thousands of egg rolls.
In this post, well show you in detail how to properly wrap the perfect egg roll, so you can make our classic takeout egg rolls, vegetable egg rolls, avocado egg rolls, and any other egg roll recipe you like!
Be sure to check out our step-by-step photos, video, and our tip on what to do if your egg roll wrapper breaks!
Whats The Secret To Making Homemade Egg Roll Wrappers
What makes the dough so nice and elastic is a little bit of elbow grease. Its okay! You can do this. Yes, youll have to knead the dough to make it smooth and elastic. Dont let this step scare you, though. Its really quite easy, a good exercise for your arms and shoulders, and its kind of meditative. All you do is set the dough on a floured surface, push into it with one hand, then roll it over and push into it with the other. If it starts sticking, add a little flour to your kneading space. For me, it feels very relaxing to knead. I settle into a rhythm and let go of my thoughts, worries and troubles, focusing my attention on the feeling of the dough. Put on some good music and try to relax and enjoy the task.
Once the dough is ready, then youll need a rolling pin to roll out the dough super thin. Yes, a little more work. Its okay. You got this. Roll and roll and roll until the dough is SUPER thin, like this :
Pile the wrappers onto parchment paper , with a piece of parchment in between each wrapper.
Continue on to cook your egg rolls straight away or you can put the pile of wrappers into a sealed plastic bag in the fridge to use later. Put a piece of parchment paper on top too to keep them from sticking to the bag! They feel nice and dry when you put them into the bag, but when they get cold, they gather moisture and tend to get sticky. Make sure the bag is tightly sealed, though, because if its not you can have the opposite problem and they dry out.
Read Also: Organic Vs Free Range Eggs
Southwestern Egg Rolls + How To Freeze
Crispy Southwest egg rolls loaded with chicken, beans, corn, bell pepper, cheese, cilantro and lots of Mexican spices. They can be baked or fried for the perfect appetizer or anytime snack! They can also be frozen for future use, instructions for freezing included! If youre looking for a tasty flavor packed appetizer then these Southwest egg rolls are the way to go. They are packed full of chicken, veggies and lots of cheesy goodness. They can be baked or fried based on your personal preference and dietary restrictions.
We like to use egg roll wraps as the crust because its thin and always crispy but small flour tortillas work great too! To make the egg rolls even healthier, try adding spinach, carrots or mushrooms.
How To Roll Egg Rolls
The process for how to roll egg rolls is easy once you get the hang of it. Most important is ensuring that all of your edges are completely sealed up so that when you start to fry them, your filling stays put and no oil seeps inside. That might take some practice, so go slow as you learn so that you dont inadvertently leave any gaps behind.
How to Wrap an Egg Roll in 5 Steps
Step 1: Place a wrapper on a flat surface in front of you with pointed edges on bottom and top so it looks like a diamond.
Step 2: Place two to three tablespoons of filling on the bottom third portion of the diamond.
Step 3: Roll the bottom corner up and tuck it in under the filling. Flatten the wrapper on either side of the filling to remove air pockets.
Step 4: Fold the left side of the wrapper in toward the filling, followed by the right side of the wrapper.
Step 5: Lightly beat an egg to make an egg wash. Brush a thin layer of egg wash onto the top, unfolded part of the wrapper to make it slightly sticky, then start to roll the wrapped portion with the filling up toward the top. Roll tightly, but use a gentle touch so as to not tear the wrapper as you go. Place wrapped egg roll seam-side down on a baking sheet and move on to your next one.
Read Also: Are Eggs Good For Cholesterol
Gluten Free Eggroll Recipe
Gluten Free eggrolls with homemade gluten free wonton wrappers are so fun to make and of course so delicious to eat! Fill with your favorite fillings, or use my easy gluten free vegan filling recipe and dipping sauces. You can’t go wrong!
Prep Time
- 1/2 lb. peeled raw shrimp
- 2 cups oyster, shitake or portobello mushrooms
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
- 2 Tbs. sesame oil
- 2 Tbs. gluten free tamari
- 1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- High heat cooking oil
What Is The Difference Between Egg Rolls And Spring Rolls
While egg rolls are related to Chinese spring rolls , theyre quite different.
A traditional spring roll is much thinner and more delicate than an egg roll. Egg rolls use a thicker wrapper or skin that resembles a sheet of pasta and fries up into a hearty, bubbly, crunchy shell. They are also about double the size/thickness of a spring roll.
In recent years, Ive noticed Chinese restaurants opting to serve spring rolls rather than egg rolls, but before that, you probably only saw crispy spring rolls show up on dim sum carts!
Also Check: 2 Hard Boiled Egg Calories
How Do I Store Leftover Egg Rolls
If you have leftover egg rolls, no problem! Simply store them in the fridge in an airtight container and keep them around for eating another time. They should keep in the refrigerator for a few days.
But heating up leftover egg rolls poses a bit of a problem. The microwave will leave them soggy and definitely lacking compared to when they were freshly cooked.
Refrying them could pose some problems with the moisture from the fridge, and its a lot of effort to get all that oil heated up and then disposed of when youre done.
Another alternative to get your leftover egg rolls hot and crispy again is in the air fryer. The hot convection of the air fryer will get it hot and delicious in no time.
If you dont have an air fryer, you can reheat them in the oven at 350 degrees for five minutes.
How To Make An Egg Roll Wrap
You can use cold water to seal the edges you fold over but a paste of flour and water works a bit more secure. Water works fine if you use rice paper but this is thicker.
The bottom comes up, sides are folded in and then roll it to the end. Secure the top and your Chinese egg rolls are ready to cook at high heat.
It will take you a good 15 minutes to prepare these. They are easier to wrap when dough is soft and pliable. Throw away remaining batter / dough as it doesnt save well.
You May Like: Egg Beaters Vs Egg Whites
Discover Online Classes In Cooking
Indian, Moroccan, Mexican, and more.
Are egg rolls your favorite part of your Chinese takeout order? Then it might be time to try making them yourself!
Egg rolls are a classic American-Chinese dish with tons of options for customization once you get the hang of the basics. Theyre also a delicious weeknight meal served alongside rice or noodles and some quick stir-fried veggies.
Learning how to cook Chinese food at home opens up the door to enjoying restaurant-worthy food right from your own kitchen, as well as experimenting and bringing your own flavors and creativity to the mix. And as one of the most versatile of all Chinese dishes, fried egg rolls are an excellent recipe to start with.
So, how do you make an egg roll? Heres how to cook, roll, and fry them, plus a quick look at the origin of those crunchy, savory delicacies.
Deep-fried are a staple of American-Chinese cooking.
Are Egg Roll Wrappers The Same As Wonton Wrappers
Egg roll wrappers and wonton wrappers both start with the same dough made with flour, water, salt, and egg. However, they differ in size so they are used in different ways as well.
Wonton wrappers are small so they are only usually folded into a triangle or beggars purse. They are commonly used for wontons and dumplings and sometimes mini desserts.
On the other hand, egg roll wrappers are used for both sweet and savory fillings. Since they come in a larger size, aside from simply rolling them, you can also try to be more creative with the shape of your finished product.
Don’t Miss: How Long Are Eggs Food For