Egg Roll

The variety in the fillings for the rolls is unlimited. Vegetables, chicken, meat, fish, nuts, fruit and even noodles, alone or in every possible combination, whole or chopped, lightly stir-fried or raw - all have potential for filling the cigars in some corner of Asia. The only rule is that the filling must itself be tasty even before it is wrapped up, and that it should not be so wet that liquids drip through the thin wrapping and wreak havoc during the frying. Reinforcement of the flavors and addition of moisture can be achieved by dunking the rolls in sauces. Here, too, there are hardly any limits, from plain or seasoned soy sauce to complicated hot and spicy, sour or sweet sauces (or all of these together).

Many fried Asian cigars can be frozen before frying, thus cutting down considerably on the last-minute work and mess in the kitchen. Once fried - they must be eaten immediately.


Thai egg roll with noodles
(makes 20)

20 sheets of frozen egg roll (or Morccan cigar) dough
100 gr. thin bean or rice noodles, softened in boiling water for 2 minutes and drained
3 cm. fresh ginger root, finely diced
1 hot chili pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. neutral oil for frying
5 spring onions, diced (green and white parts separate)
3 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 small head cabbage, cut into thin strips
1 container bean sprouts
a small bunch of cilantro, chopped
200 gr. chicken breast, poached in water and cut into thin strips
2 tbsp. fish sauce (optional)
2 tbsp. sweet chili sauce
2 tbsp. sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp. vinegar
5 tbsp. sugar
oil for deep frying

1. In a wok or large frying pan, heat the ginger, chili and garlic for a few seconds. Add the white part of the spring onion, the carrot and the pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes and then add the cabbage and sprouts; stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Add fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, chicken and noodles. Mix and chill thoroughly. Then add the cilantro and the green part of the spring onion. If liquids collect in the bottom of the wok, leave them there and do not mix again, so as not to moisten the filling.

2. Spread a leaf of wrapping dough on the work surface and on it, a line of the filling (about 2 tbsp.) about one-third of the way from the edge of the dough (if the dough is square, arrange the filling diagonally, near one of the corners). Fold the corner of the dough over the filling and then fold over the edges to seal the filling. Dampen the remaining part of the dough with a bit of water or beaten egg to make it stick and roll up tightly. Place the completed egg roll seam side down, to help it adhere and lessen the chance that the egg roll will open up during frying. If you intend to freeze the egg roll, wrap it in the paper inserted in the package between the sheets of dough. Continue with the rest of the dough and filling.

To fold, place about 3-4 tablespoons of filling diagonally, from the top left to the bottom right but nearer the bottom left corner, on an egg roll skin. Next, fold the bottom left corner over the filling. Now fold the top left and the bottom right corners over the filling. Lastly, roll the filled section towards the top right corner, using egg white to secure the corner down.


You can also make smaller egg rolls, by cutting the egg roll skins in half diagonally. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling along the diagonal side. Fold down the sides of the diagonal over the filling. Then roll the filled section towards the corner, and secure it shut with egg white.


3. In a deep-fryer or iron wok, heat the oil for deep frying. When the oil is very hot, fry the egg roll for 2 or 3 minutes until golden. Dry on paper towels and serve with a small bowl of soy sauce and spring onion, or chili sauce for dipping.



Vietnamese peanut cigars
The filling is surprising and tasty as is - so it is worth making enough both for noshing and filling. The following recipe makes 20 cigars.

20 frozen sheets of dough
350 gr. peeled, roasted unsalted peanuts
2 thick slices of challah that is a day or 2 old (or 15 tbsp. of unseasoned breadcrumbs)
juice of 3 lemons + grated rind of 1 of them
about 15 spring onions, diced
1 or 2 small hot chili peppers, minced
12 tbsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
oil for deep frying

1. For the filling: Grind the dry bread into crumbs in the food processor. Add the
peanuts and spring onion; pulse so that some large pieces of peanut remain. Add the lemon juice and the rind, the chili, sugar and salt. Mix.

2. Fill the sheets of dough and form thin cigars, as in the previous recipe. At this stage there is no problem in freezing if the cigars are individually wrapped in paper so they will not stick together.

3. Deep-fry the cigars in oil until golden. Serve
immediately, with hot coconut curry sauce (below) for
dipping.


Coconut curry sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
5 spring onions, diced
400 gr. (1 can) coconut milk
1 1/2 tbsp. tom yam paste or red curry paste (available in Oriental foods shops)
2 tsp. soy sauce

In a small saucepan heat the sesame oil and lightly fry the spring onion.
Add the coconut milk, the tom yam or red curry paste, and the soy sauce.
Cook over a low flame until the sauce reduces and thickens (about 1/2 hour).


Sweet cigars with apples and nuts
This recipe makes 16 small cigars.

4 sheets cigar dough, cut into quarters
2 tart green apples, unpeeled, coarsely grated
2 tbsp. Demerara sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. black raisins
small handful of walnuts, broken by hand
oil for deep frying
powdered sugar for decorating (optional)

Mix filling ingredients together in a bowl.
Fill 1/4 sheets of dough to make small cigars, as in the previous recipes.
Deep fry until golden.
Decorate with powdered sugar, if desired.
Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.

appetizer asia