Sesame Battered Egg Rolls

Plump with pork and veggies, perfectly seasoned with Asian spices, and a crunch that doesn’t stop, you just have to love these egg rolls! And when you want to amp them up a bit, batter the egg rolls, for another layer of crunch!

Chinese Egg Rolls

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons soy sauce or 1 1/2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

1 1/2 teaspoong ginger paste, or finally minced fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup diced red pepper

1/2 cup fresh or canned bean sprouts

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced, crosswise (both white and green parts)

1 clove minced garlic

2 cups chopped green cabbage

pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon granulated garlic

salt and pepper to taste

12, 7-inch square eggroll wrappers

-Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium sized skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add onion and fry about 3 minutes until softened. Add pork and garlic. Cook stirring frequently until pork is broken apart and browned. Add about 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Remove pork mixture, place in a bowl and then set it aside.

-In a small dish, combine soy sauce, ginger paste, and cornstrach. Stir together until well combined. Add a bit of water if needed to dissolve cornstarch.

-Pour 2 tablespoons oil and sesame oil into the same skillet and heat over high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the carrots, red pepper, bean spourts, diced celery, cabbage and minced garlic all at once and stir constantly over high heat for about 3 - 4 minutes, until vegetables have softened and cabbage is wilted. Don’t overcook - the vegetables should still be somewhat crisp. Add the pork misture and stir into vegetables.

-Pour the soy sauce mixture into the middle of the vegetables, add a pinch of sugar and granulated garlic. Continue to stir over medium-high heat for another minute. Remove the skillet from the heat. Allow to cool in the skillet for about 5 minutes. Taste for seaoning, adding more soy sauce or salt if needed.

-Place in a bowl lined with 2 layers of paper towels to absorb extra moisture and chill in the bowl in the fridge, for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.

To Assemble:

-Separate 12 egg roll wrappers from the stack. On a clean surface in front of you, lay out 3 - 4 wrappers in a diamond shape with one corner facing you. Take a heaping tablespoon of the chilled filling and place it in the center of the wrapper. Starting at the pointed edge facing you, roll it up and over the filling tightly. Fold each side edge over the filling. Brush the edges of the remaining point of the wrapper with water and then continue to roll the egg roll to the very point of the remaining corner. Set egg rolls, seamside down on a plate or counter until all 12 are assembled.

-Prepare a frying “station near your stove by laying several layers of paper towels out on a flat surface.

-Heat 2 1/2 inches of vegetable oil in a medium to large heavy bottomed saucepan or wok, until it reaches about 350 degrees, over medium high heat. With tongs, lower 3 - 4 egg rolls at a time into the hot oil. Turn the egg rolls to the other side with tongs after about 2 minutes or when the first side is golden brown and fry the other side for another 2 - 3 minutes. Remove with tongs to paper towels to drain.

-Allow egg rolls to cool about 10 minutes, then serve warm with a dipping sauce: Sweet and Sour Sauce, Duck Sauce or Soy Sauce mixed with a bit of vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Makes 12 egg rolls. (Can be cut in half - at a diagonal is always nice, for smaller servings.)

For Battered Sesame Egg Rolls

1 egg, beaten

1 cup cold water

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of sugar

1/2 cup sesame seeds spread on plate.

Combine egg and milk. Add dry ingredients. Beat with a whisk until smooth. Dip formed (but not fried) egg rolls in batter and drain well, scraping off excess batter on the edge of the mixing bowl. Roll battered egg rolls lightly in sesame seeds. Fry in deep oil at 350 degrees until golden brown on both sides (as described in the instructions above.) .

Chop vegetables as described in recipe then stir fry in hot oil over high heat in frying pan until slightly wilted and softened.

Rolling Egg Rolls: Lay wrappers out on counter in front of you in a diamond position.

#1 - Place a scoop of the filling in the center of a wrapper as shown on the left.

#2 - Take the bottom point closest to you and fold it firmly up and over the filling, as shown in the center.

#3 - Fold the 2 pointed edges in over the filling as shown on the right. Brush the edges of the remaining point with water.

#4 - Continue rolling the wrapper up until the remaining point is sticking to the roll and the filling is completely encased in the wrapper. Place the rolled wrappers seamside down on counter while you roll the other egg rolls.

Fry the egg rolls in 2 inches deep of hot oil, turning until browned all over. Remove to paper towels to drain and cool.

For the Battered egg rolls, mix the batter ingredients in a food processor, electric mixer or by hand with a whisk, until very smooth. Dip the rolled egg rolls (before fried) completely in the batter then press into sesame seeds. Then fry as for the regular egg rolls.

Serve egg rolls while still warm, whole or cut in half. Serve with an Asian sauce of your choice.

Plump with pork and veggies, perfectly seasoned with Asian spices, and a crunch that doesn’t stop, you just have to love these egg rolls!

Ultimate, over-the-top egg rolls, battered and dipped in sesame seeds - make double the crunch!

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

*Dipping Sauces:

*Where to find wrappers: