Egg rolls are usually complicated…which is why we leave them to the pros at Asian restaurants. But here’s a recipe for the home cook. No vegetables to prep–just coleslaw mix and scallions bound with a little peanut butter. The cooking method is two-step. Simply blanch-fry the egg-rolls ahead. Stored in a Ziplock bag, they can be refrigerated for days in this state. When you’re ready to serve them, they flash-fry in a just a couple of minutes.
Why not make them for appetizers this weekend, and fry up the rest for Meatless Monday? Now that’d be the start of a vegetarian meal worth looking forward to.
Quick 'n Easy Vegetable Egg Rolls
by: Three Many Cooks
Serves: Makes about 8 egg rolls, but recipe easily doubles
Ingredients
For the Egg Rolls
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus another 2 cups for frying
- 1 package (8 ounces) coleslaw mix
- Salt
- ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 8 egg-roll wrappers
For the Lime-Ginger Dipping Sauce, makes about ⅓ cup
- 2 tablespoons each: Asian fish sauce and lime juice
- 1 tablespoon each: sugar and water
- ½ teaspoon each: ground ginger and hot red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet until it starts to shimmer. Add coleslaw mix; stir-fry, seasoning lightly with salt, until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour mixture into a medium bowl; stir in scallions and peanut butter until evenly distributed.
- Place an egg-roll wrapper on a work surface, one of the point ends facing you. Place a generous 2 tablespoons of filling just below center, forming it into a log. Fold in both sides of the wrapper over filling. Starting at end closest to you, fold wrapper over filling, then roll it as tightly as you can; moisten wrapper end with wet fingertips and press it to the roll to seal.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan or small Dutch oven to 300 degrees. Fry egg rolls, 4 at a time and turning once, until fried through, but still blond, about 2 minutes. Drain on a wire rack until ready to serve. (Par-fried egg rolls can wrapped and refrigerated for several days.)
- About twenty minutes before serving, heat oil again, this time to 375 degrees. Cook egg rolls, 4 at a time and turning once, until crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce or Lime-Ginger Dipping Sauce.
- For the sauce: Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and serve.
Notes
For added flavor and a great look, halve the egg rolls diagonally and dip each cut end into 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro.
do you think this would work with fried rice flour wrappers, the kind used for spring rolls?
Yes, spring roll wrappers should work just fine.
Sooo easy and delicious looking!
Love this! Trying it soon…
have you ever tried freezing these ahead and then thawing in fridge before frying?
Don’t thaw. Just fry them frozen!
Can you just fry them once?
Sure you can, but the first fry allows you to freeze or refrigerate them after assembly.