Thai Spring Rolls

Our neighborhood Thai restaurant Basil Leaf Grill, is a culinary delight, with unusual and authentic food, which comes at a moment's notice. We drool in anticipation at the thought of  a meat-laden green curry, lemongrass pork chops, coconut noodles and their crispy spring rolls called po pia. Crackling brown cylinders filled with veggies and pork, are addictive. Since they only come in trios, I think I need to make some more to vanquish that spring roll hunger.

The filling starts with ground pork, bean thread noodles, grated carrot and onion and fish sauce. An unusual addition of quick sauteed garlic and coriander adds color and zest to the filling. Spoonfuls of filling are tightly wrapped into small cylinders and fried till golden brown and crisp. Dipped in a sweet chile sauce, the home crowd declares them better than takeout. I'll take that as a compliment. 

THAI SPRING ROLLS

Makes 15-20

1/2 pound ground Pork

1/2-3/4 cup  Bean Thread Noodles

4 Garlic cloves

1/2 cup roughly chopped Cilantro

1 teaspoon Canola Oil

1 Carrot

3 tablespoon minced Onion

3 tablespoons Fish Sauce

1 teaspoon Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Ground White Pepper

1 Egg

6 inch square Spring Roll Wrappers

Canola Oil

Place pork in a bowl. 

Place bean thread noodles in a shallow bowl. Cover the noodles with hot water. Leave them in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain them well so they are dry.

Cut bean thread noodles into small sections. Use kitchen scissors for an easy way to do this. Add then them to the pork.

Chop garlic and cilantro finely. 

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in small saucepan. When it shimmers add garlic and cilantro and saute for 30 seconds. 

Cool and add to the pork.

Grate carrot and add to the pork.

Add onion, fish sauce, sugar, salt and pepper to pork.

Whisk egg. Keep one tablespoon of egg aside and add the rest to the pork.

Stir pork so everything is well mixed.

Take one wrapper and place it on a board. Position it like a diamond.

Scoop 1 heaped tablespoon of filling onto the lower part of the wrapper. Smooth the filling into a log.

Brush the top of the wrapper with a little egg.

Fold the bottom end of the wrapper tightly over the filling. 

Bring the sides over into the middle over the log shape. 

Roll tightly away from you to form a cylinder. Smooth over the egg-washed end and place the spring roll seam side down on a plate. 

Make the remaining rolls the same way. 

Heat 2-3 cups of oil in wok or deep saucepan. 

Test the oil with a small bit of wrapper. It should spring immediately to the top. 

Fry 4-5 rolls over a medium high flame. Do this slowly as the pork has to cook well. Turn them often. When they are golden brown, drain them on paper. 

Serve them hot with sweet chile sauce.

 The pile disappears at an alarming rate...thats a good thing!

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