Spring is all about eating fresh and having time for parties. How appropriate it will be to have a Popiah Party. Spring rolls are fun to serve when having friends over and everyone will be busy rolling and eating them. This delicious popiah recipe will be your favourite!
It’s a perfect combination of sweetness from the sweet sauce, the spiciness from the chilli sauce, the savouriness from the meat and the crunchiness from all the fresh vegetables wrapped in it. A wrap filled with fresh ingredients and vegetables of spring, fresh spring rolls (popiah) is a favourite street food in Malaysia. However nothing beats homemade spring rolls!
In this recipe, I’ve also included the recipe for the popiah turnip filling that we typically prepare at home. Alternatively, you may also use the Stir Fried Yam Bean recipe that can be found here.
Fresh Spring Rolls (Popiah)
Fresh Spring Rolls (Popiah) 薄饼
Ingredients
To cook filling
- 1 kg turnip, cut into strips
- 25 spring roll skins
- 300 gram fresh prawns, shelled, reserved shells for stock
- 1/2 tsp salt, marinate prawns
- 4 cups water, for prawn stock
- 3 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp brown bean paste, ground
- 300 gram meat, diced
- 1/2 tsp salt, marinate meat
- 2 firm beancurd, fried, cut into strips
- 1/2 tsp salt
To prepare garnishing ingredients
- 1 lettuce, wash and drained
- 300 gram bean sprouts, tailed and blanched
- 1 cucumber, finely shred
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten, to make omelette
- 1/8 tsp salt, seasoning for eggs
- 1/8 tsp pepper, seasoning for eggs
- 150 gram peanut, roasted and ground
- 150 gram shallots, sliced and fried crisp
Choose fresh and sweet turnips, also known as jicama for this dish.
Peel the skin off the turnips, wash and drained well.- Cut the turnips into strips.
- Place the strips of turnip in a coriander.
Have ready some fresh spring roll wrap/skin. They can be homemade or store bought.- To cook the filling, first boil prawn shells in water for about 10 minutes.
Strained the prawn stock and set aside.- Season the prawns with salt.
- Next fry firm bean curd on non-stick pan till browned on both sides.
Then cut the fried bean curd into strips.- Heat oil in a wok and lightly brown minced garlic.
- Add brown bean paste and fry until fragrant.
- Pour in strained prawn stock.
- When the prawn stock comes to a boil, add in turnip strips and mix well.
- When it starts to boil again, add in the diced meat.
Cover and simmer gently on low heat for 1 1/2 hours until the turnip is soft or transfer to a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 30 minutes.- Then add in the prawns.
- Next add in bean curd strips and salt to taste.
Cover and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.- And the turnip filling is ready to be used for the wrap!
While turnip is simmering in the wok, prepare the garnishing ingredients. Wash lettuce, blanch beansprouts, shred cucumber, sliced omelette, fry shallots, ground fried garlic and roasted peanuts. Also not forgetting the sweet and chilli sauce.- To make omelette, spread beaten eggs thinly on non-stick pan.
- Cook the thin omelette till set and remove from pan.
- Slice finely the cooked omelette.
- To serve, put a spring roll wrap on a plate or flat board.
- Spread with as much chilli, sweet sauce and ground fried garlic as desired.
- Next, place a piece of fresh lettuce on one edge of the spring roll wrap.
- Then add blanch beansprout followed by sliced cucumber.
- Place 2 tablespoons of filling, drained of gravy, on top.
- Top with omelette strips and sprinkle with a little roasted ground peanuts and shallot crisps.
- Lastly, wrap and then fold up the two sides of wrapper and roll up like a swiss roll. And we're done!
- Cut and serve the spring rolls immediately.
