Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls with Sweet Chilli Dip
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and Serious Eats.
A quick stir-fry of cabbage, carrot, shiitake and bean sprouts is drained and cooled, rolled tightly in spring roll pastry and deep-fried at 175 °C, then served with a sweet chilli dip.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Make the dip. Stir the sugar, vinegar, ketchup, chillies and salt until dissolved.
- 2
Stir-fry. Stir-fry the garlic, ginger and mushrooms, then the cabbage, carrot, sprouts and spring onions; add the seasoning.
- 3
Cool. Drain and spread the filling out until completely cold.
- 4
Roll. Roll 2 tbsp filling tightly in each pastry sheet, folding in the sides, and seal with flour paste.
- 5
Fry. Fry at 175 °C for 4-5 minutes until golden and crisp.
- 6
Serve. Drain and serve hot with the dip.

Common mistake
A dry, cold filling is the secret to crisp rolls that do not burst.
More from the cat
- Keep unused pastry under a damp towel so it does not crack.
- Freeze uncooked rolls on a tray, then fry from frozen for 6-7 minutes.
Storage
Best eaten hot. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours for up to 2 days and re-crisp in a 200 °C oven for 8-10 minutes until piping hot.
Equipment
- small bowl
- wok or large frying pan
- colander
- tray
- damp tea towel
- deep heavy pan or wok
- cooking thermometer
- slotted spoon
- wire rack over a tray
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 271 kcal |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbohydrate | 36.7 g |
| of which sugars | 13.8 g |
| of which free sugars | 10.7 g |
| Fat | 12.1 g |
| of which saturates | 1 g |
| Fibre | 2.8 g |
| Salt | 0.85 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.8 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
