MakeEgg Rolls at Home:

Fried or Baked

Egg Rolls are a common staple at Asian restaurants in the US.  Why limit them to just restaurants?  Make Egg Rolls  at home ; it is fun and easy, and a great way to connect with your kids.  A few simple ingredients from your local grocery can simply be combined to make  egg rolls that are one of the best you’ve ever eaten.  And the best part: you can make baked or fried egg rolls  to eliminate fat and calories.

Anatomy of an Egg Roll

Simply put, an Egg Roll is a thin wrapper that is filled with veggies and protein, that is cooked crispy.  I love to fill my Homemade Egg Rolls with bok choy, a Chinese cabbage.  It looks a bit like cabbage and celery combined and you can find it in most produce sections.  Typically the egg roll wrappers are in the produce section near the tofu.  I love a sprouted firm tofu for just about anything I use tofu for, including egg rolls.  The enoki and shitake mushrooms are found with the more common white mushrooms in the produce section.  They are wonderful additions to many asian dishes including your Homemade Egg Rolls.

Egg Rolls Make Great Appetizers

If you’d like to make Egg Rolls as an amazing appetizer, instead of using egg roll wrappers, use wonton wrappers.  Your Egg Rolls will be a smaller, daintier version, which is perfect for finger foods and your company will be delighted that you made them from scratch.  The taste of your egg rolls will be completely different from the ones you buy in a box, and it will really show!

Homemade Egg Rolls Recipe  

1 head bok choy, sliced thin

4 oz Shitake mushrooms, stems removed and tops diced

3 oz Enoki mushrooms, diced

1 block tofu (optional), diced fine

3 T olive oil

1 handful bean sprouts

1 pkg egg roll wrappers

qt peanut oil

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add half of the olive oil and fry the tofu until it’s slightly crispy.  Remove from the pan.

Add the remainder of the olive oil and stir fry the bok choy, mushrooms, and bean sprouts until slightly wilted.  Remove from the pan and mix with the tofu.

Place an egg roll wrapper on a dry surface.  Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the wrapper and form a log that runs from corner to corner.

Fold like an envelope, long corner over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll to close, using a bit of water to seal the edge.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium-high heat, filling the pan only about halfway up.

Carefully lower egg rolls into the oil gently, being careful of splatter.  Fry, turning occasionally, until all sides are golden brown.

Serve hot with duck or sweet and sour sauce.

If baking, spray a baking sheet with baking spray.  Place egg rolls on the sheet and bake at 425 degrees F until the egg rolls are browned and crispy.

Next time you’d like Egg Rolls, skip the box and forget the takeout!