Thai Egg Roll Recipe (Po-Pia Thot)

This is a recipe for Thai-style Egg Rolls with a filling of either ground pork or use a combination of chicken and crab meat (or all 3 if you like). Add shredded carrots and cabbage, bean sprouts and black tree ear mushrooms (also known as black jelly fungus) for texture and balance. Season the mixture with Thai soy sauce, black pepper, sea salt and fresh garlic. Roll up in fresh egg roll wrappers (available in larger supermarkets) and deep fry in vegetable oil.

Egg rolls are the perfect holiday party food because you can prepare in advance and freeze, cooking them before the guests arrive, the day of the party.

Serve with ready-prepared Sweet Chili Sauce or make your own Egg Roll Sauce

1 pound ground pork (cook in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain, and set aside)
1/4pound dried bean thread noodle (soak in hot water until soft, drain, and cut in half)
1/4 cup shredded carrot
4 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/3 cup (5-6) dried tree ear mushrooms, chopped (presoaked in hot water)
1 cup diced white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons light Thai soy sauce (Healthy Boy brand is preferred)
2 tablespoons Thai dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons peanut oil
1 egg (beaten)
1 package frozen egg roll wrappers (20-50 sheets per package)
1 tablespoon tapioca starch + 1/2 cup water (mix together, microwave for 1 minute and allow to cool; used to keep egg rolls from unrolling in hot oil)
Oil for deep-frying (light flavored oils like safflower or peanut but do not use olive oil)

To make the filling, combine cooked ground pork (or ground chicken/shrimp), bean thread noodles, cabbage, carrot, bean sprouts, tree ear mushrooms, onion, garlic, cilantro, black pepper, sugar, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, soy sauce and salt in a bowl. Toss to mix.
Heat a wok over high heat and add cooking oil, swirling to coat the entire surface. Cook the ground meat and vegetable filling, stirring, for one minute. Make a space in the middle of the wok and add the egg, stirring constantly until cooked. Mix with the meat and vegetable filling and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain in a colander. Set aside to cool.
Place an egg roll wrapper on a flat surface facing diagonally towards you and brush the far corner with a small amount of the tapioca flour and water mixture. Place 2 tablespoons of the filling approximately 3 inches in from the corner closest to you and fold the corner over the filling. Roll over several times. Fold both sides in towards the center and finish rolling up the wrapper.
Preheat oil in a deep-fryer (or wok) to 375 degrees. Deep-fry the egg rolls for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, then drain on paper towels. Serve with Spring Roll Sauce, Plum Sauce or Sweet Chili Sauce. We recommend a Asian Bamboo & Wire Strainer for deep-frying the egg rolls in a wok..

Yield: 8 servings (makes approximately 25-30 egg rolls)

Notes: You may prepare in advance as egg rolls freeze well. To freeze Egg Rolls: Deep-fry until lightly brown and allow to cool. Place in airtight plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months. To reheat Egg Rolls, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen Egg Rolls on a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Do not microwave, for best results.

Asian Bamboo & Wire Strainer
Use this Bamboo-Handled Wire Mesh Strainer for deep-frying wontons, egg rolls and appetizers. It's also great for boiling pasta, dumplings, noodles, vegetables or meat for soups. Visit our Asian cookware store for more great cooking tools.

Also see:

Egg roll sauce recipe to accompany this dish
Also see our recipe for Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Crying Tiger: Thai Recipes from the Heart

Recipe from 'Crying Tiger: Thai Recipes from the Heart ' by Supatra Johnson.

This title is available in our cookbook section.