These aren’t your typical spring rolls! Bursting with a bold fusion of spices and a delightful blend of Indo-Chinese flavours, this recipe takes your palate on an unforgettable journey. Perfectly versatile, these Chicken Spring Rolls are ideal as finger food to elevate any table spread or as a delicious treat in lunch boxes year-round.
By: Zainab Dokrat (@SpicyFusionKitchen)
INGREDIENTS
- 1 kg Cubed (small, approximately 2cm) Chicken Fillet
- 3 – 4 Tbsp Green Chili Paste or Ground Green Chillies
- 1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
- 1 Tbsp Crushed Garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp Grated Ginger
- 2 – 3 Tbsp Butter (2 – 3 Tbsp Preferred Oil)
- 2 Chopped Fresh Green Chilies
- 1 tsp Crushed Garlic
- 2 Onions Diced Medium
- 1 Large Tin Whole Kernal Corn (240g – drained)
- 1 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 4 – 5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- VEGETABLE STIRFRY INGREDIENTS
- 1 Cup Grated Carrots (2 Medium – Large Carrots)
- 1 Medium Sized Cabbage Shredded Finely
- 1 Cup Cubed Red Bell Peppers
- 1 Cup Cubed Green Bell Peppers
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Garlic
- 2 Tbsp Butter (or preferred oil)
- Sprinkle of Salt (to taste – remember the soy sauce has salt)
- 1/4 tsp Freshly Cracked Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Red Chili Flakes
- EXTRA INGREDIENTS
- 2 Cups Boiled Spaghetti or Rice Noodles (chopped with scissors into small strands) – Room Temperature
- 1 1/2 Cups Thick Smooth White Sauce – Room Temperature
- 1 Cup Chopped Fresh Spring Onions
- 1 – 2 Cups Chopped Fresh Coriander
- 2 Packets Spring Roll Pastry (Total 60 Sheets)
- SPRING ROLL GLUE INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 Cup Flour
- 4 – 5 Tbsp Water
METHOD
- Prep your chicken fillets by washing them and cutting them into approximately 2cm cubes.
- Next, marinate the cubed chicken with the green chilli paste/ground green chillies, lemon juice, ginger, and garlic.
- In a medium-sized wide pot), on high heat, add in the butter, and once it starts to melt, spread it around before adding in the garlic and chopped green chillies.
- Let it sauté for a minute before adding the marinated cubed chicken. Give it a quick stir and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Next, add the diced onions and drained whole-kernel corn and mix well. Do not add any water. Close the lid and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, heat a wok on another burner, add the butter, and sauté the garlic for 1 minute.
- Next, add the grated carrots, shredded cabbage, and cubed peppers and quickly toss everything.
- After 1 – 2 minutes, reduce the heat to medium and season with salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and red chilli flakes.
- Continue stir-frying the vegetables for another 5 minutes (do not overcook them), then remove them from the heat and let them cool.
- Once the chicken is cooked, ensure the liquid has dried out. Again, do not overcook it or add water. If it’s done, remove it from the heat.
- Immediately add the Chinese 5 spice powder, soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper powder, and salt (depending on the taste) to the chicken.
- Next, mix in your stir-fried vegetables.
- While the filling is cooling down, add the cut-boiled spaghetti or rice noodles (which should not be too soft).
- Next, add 1 1/2 cups of the smooth, thick white sauce to the filling and mix well.
- Finally, you’re at the end of preparing the filling; once it’s at room temperature (a faster way to cool down your filling is by placing it in the fridge for 1 – 2 hours – for the best results, leave it in the fridge overnight), add in the chopped spring onions and coriander and give it one final mix. Your filling won’t be extremely dry; however, the thick white sauce will hold it together, and again, it should not be “watery”.
- Now, it’s time to prepare your spring roll sheets. They should be at room temperature. Dampen a clean dish towel (it should not be dripping wet). Gently separate each sheet from the others, placing them on half of the dishtowel. You can layer them on top of each other.
- Cover the stacked separated sheets with the other half of the damped dish towel.
- Now, it’s time to fill them. The sheets I used were a bit large, so with the square sheet in front of me, I cut a strip approximately 2cm wide from the left side and another 2cm wide across the top, making the square a bit smaller. I only made those two cuts. Depending on your preference, you may or may not need to cut the sheet.
- Turn the spring roll sheet diagonally (one corner should face you). Place one heaped serving tablespoon of the filling slightly above the corner of the spring roll sheet.
- Next, hold the corner facing you and bring it over the filling. Using your fingers, secure it against the filling.
- Then, bring the right-side corner over your filling, followed by the left side. Make sure the sides are nicely tucked, neat, and secure.
- You should be left with a long spring roll strip and begin rolling it towards the top corner.
- Before reaching the end, lightly spread the spring roll glue (mix the flour and water into a semi-thick paste) over the leftover strip till the corner and roll the spring roll until it’s closed. The spring roll glue will ensure it doesn’t open while fried.
- Place your rolled spring roll onto a lined baking tray, and you can place another lightly damped dish towel over your finished spring rolls, so they don’t dry out as you fill the rest.
- Continue the process till all your spring rolls are filled.
26. To freeze the spring rolls, place them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to cook, there’s no need to thaw them—though it’s recommended for best results. You can either shallow fry or air fry them. For shallow frying, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes until it’s hot, then carefully add the spring rolls, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Turn them occasionally to ensure even browning. Since the filling is already cooked, once the spring rolls are golden and crisp, remove them from the oil, let them drain on a paper towel, and enjoy with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce (recipe to follow).
27. If using an air fryer, simply arrange the frozen spring rolls in a single layer, spray lightly with oil, and cook at 180°C (350°F) for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Journalist, Editor and Photographer
