Veggie Mini Eggrolls - Easy To Make With Wonton Wrappers
Chop broccoli, mince carrots and microwave, uncovered, for 1 min on Hi. Set aside to cool slightly - uncovered. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add cooked rice (at room temperature) and seasonings, and mix well. Divide mixture into 1 tbsp portions; shape each portion into a "log". On a large dry cutting board, set out 5-6 wonton wrappers. Place one "log" in the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper and roll up. Press the open edges together - seal well. Repeat with remaining "logs", keeping the prepared mini-rolls covered with a towel. Fry the egg rolls in hot oil until golden-brown and crisp. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce . Enjoy!
Equipment
- Small wok/pan for frying egg rolls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Cooked rice - white or brown well-cooked and tender; leftover cooked rice is perfect; for freshly cooked seasoned rice, see Recipe Notes for directions
- 1/2 cup Broccoli - chopped crowns tender stalks can be used along with crowns ; for substitutions, see Recipe Notes
- 1/4 cup Carrots - minced about 3-4 baby carrots
- 2 tbsp Onion - finely diced any variety OK; shallots,spring onions (white part) OK too
- 1/4 tsp Oil I like Peanut oil; any mild oil of your choice is OK;
- 1 tsp Garlic - fresh, finely chopped 1-2 cloves; if not available, use 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Ginger - fresh, grated if not available, use 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt adjust as per taste preference
- 1/8 tsp Black pepper - freshly crushed preferred
- 1/4 tsp Red chilli powder (cayenne) adjust as per spiciness preferred
- 1/8 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
- 1 tsp Fennel powder
- 1 tbsp Crumbled tofu - optional See Recipe Notes for substitutions
- 2 tbsp Parsley - chopped - optional if fresh is not available, use 2 tsp dried parsley
- 16 pieces Wonton wrappers or 4 egg roll wrappers, cut into quarters; find these in the refrigerated section of the grocery store - nowadays, eggless/vegan options are available too
To season leftover plain unsalted rice: 1/2 cup
- 1/4 tsp Cumin powder
- 1/8 tsp Red chilli powder adjust as per taste preference
- 1/8 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder (optional) or a pinch each of ground cinnamon and black pepper
- 1/8 tsp Salt adjust as per preference
- 1/2 tsp Soy sauce - low-sodium preferred - optional for Soy-free - omit, or use soy-free alternative like Coconut Aminos
- 1 tsp Water
For frying Egg Rolls
- 1/2 cup Oil - high smoke-point oil preferred I like peanut oil; any mild-flavored high smoke-point oil is OK, e.g., sunflower oil; avoid frying in Extra virgin olive oil or other cold-pressed oil; See Recipe Notes for "spent oil"
Instructions
- If using leftover unsalted rice, place the rice in a wide, shallow mixing bowl and add the seasonings listed: cumin powder, red chilli powder, Chinese 5-spice powder (optional), soy sauce (optional). Splash the water, mix well and set aside.Note: If you plan to make fresh-cooked rice , please see Recipe Notes for adding seasonings while cooking. Also allow cooked rice to cool to room temperature before using.
- Chop broccoli in a food chopper with pulse action. Leave a little texture, don't chop too finely.
- Transfer to a glass/ceramic microwave-safe bowl and cook, uncovered, on Hi for 1 min. Transfer to mixing bowl with the rice and set aside to cool. The volume decreases a bit during cooking.
- While the broccoli cooks, prepare the carrots. Cut carrots into small chunks and mince them in the food chopper, using pulse action - no need to rinse the chopper bowl after chopping broccoli. The texture of the carrots should be finer than the broccoli.
- Transfer the carrots to the same bowl in which you cook the broccoli - microwave, uncovered, on Hi for 1 min. Transfer to the mixing bowl (with the rice and broccoli) and set aside to cool.
- While the carrots cook, chop the onion finely.
- Transfer the onion to same bowl used for cooking carrots. Add 1/4 tsp oil and microwave on hi, uncovered, for 1 min. Transfer to the mixing bowl.
- Add crumbled tofu (if using), garlic, ginger and remaining seasonings.
- Mix well. It forms a soft slightly sticky mixture, about 1 cup packed.
- Divide into 16 portions, about 1 tbsp each. Use a measuring spoon (1 tbsp) to get equal sized portions, shape each portion into tight balls.Note: if the mixture sticks to your hands/fingers while shaping, scrape it off periodically with a spoon/spatula, adding the sticky scraps back into the filling mixture.Shape each portion into a cylinder/log, about 1 1/2 inches (3 1/2 cm) long. Note: If you want to make triangle-shaped egg rolls, don't re-shape the balls.
- On a large, dry cutting board, set out 5-6 Wonton wrappers.Note: Cover the remaining wrappers with a damp towel to keep them from drying.Place a "log" filling on each wrapper. Dip your fingers in a bowl of water, and moisten along the edges of the wrapper - all 4 sides.Beginning with a side parallel to the "log" filling, roll up tightly. Keeping seam-side down, press the open ends to seal well. Repeat with the remaining wrappers on the board. Transfer the prepared wrappers to a dry plate/clean cutting board and cover with a towel. Repeat the process to finish filling all the remaining egg rolls.Note: Place the package containing the remaining Wonton wrappers in a zipper-type sealable bag, and return to the refrigerator. Use the rest with a week or so.
- Heat 1/2 cup oil in a small wok or frying pan (8inches/20 cm), until it shimmers- about 3-4 min on medium-high heat.Test if the oil is hot enough by dipping a small corner of a prepared egg roll into the oil. It should sizzle immediately. If it doesn't, it means the oil is not hot enough and needs to be heated for another 1-2 min.When the oil is properly heated, add one egg roll, seam side down. After about 30 seconds, add the second egg roll. Wait 30 seconds and add the 3rd egg roll.
- If you have enough space in your pan, you may be able to add another roll too. However, don't over-crowd them - it becomes difficult to flip them if you do that.By this time, the first roll should be about ready to flip. Use a slotted spoon and a second spoon for support as you carefully lift and flip the egg roll. The fried side will look blistered (where it has puffed up) and golden-brown. Note: If the color seems too light, let it be for now - you can always flip it back later to get it as "brown" as you want. Watch carefully and flip the rolls as they get browned - do not let them get burned - that can happen very quickly if you are not alert!
- Line a plate with 2 layers of absorbent paper towels to hold the fried rolls. The paper towels absorb excess oil so that the egg rolls do not taste greasy when you eat them.
- To remove the fried egg rolls from the oil, first lift the egg roll onto the slotted spoon, rest the spoon briefly at an angle against the side of the wok/pan, to help drain excess oil back into the wok/pan. Place the fried egg rolls on the paper towel lined plate.
- Arrange the drained egg rolls on a serving plate and serve immediately, accompanied by your favorite dipping sauce.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Cooking seasoned rice if you don't have leftover cooked rice:
- Measure 3 tbsp rice in a small stainless steel bowl that fits inside the pressure cooker - (pot in a pot method) pressure cooker insert container
- white rice or brown rice - both OK
- brown rice takes longer to cook
- Rinse 2-3 times, drain thoroughly and add 6 tbsp water (a little less than 1/2 cup, which is 8 tbsp). If you add too much water, the rice will become too mushy.
- Add the seasonings
- 1/8 tsp each salt, cumin seeds, crushed red pepper
- 1 star anise
- 1 small piece cinnamon stick
- Prepare the pressure cooker
- add 1 cup water
- place the rack
- place the bowl with the rice on the rack
- Close and lock the lid
- Pressure cook at full pressure - time depends on the type of rice used
- white rice - 4 min
- brown rice 7-8 min
- Allow natural pressure release - may take 10-15 min.
- this typically takes longer for electric pressure cookers (like InstantPot) compared with non-electric cookers used on the stove-top.
- Unlock lid and carefully remove the cooked rice. Keep covered, undisturbed, for 5-7 min, then gently transfer to a dinner plate, fluff with a wet fork and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- The rice should be soft and tender to its core- not "al dente" with a hard/crunchy center
- Remove the star anise and cinnamon stick before preparing filling.
- Use as directed in the recipe.
Substitutes for Tofu:
- Dairy substitutes: Paneer, Farmer's cheese, Cottage cheese, Queso Fresco, etc.
- If you must avoid soy as well as dairy, try adding a tbsp of chopped nuts or pumpkin seeds (for nut-free option)
"Spent" Oil: the Oil leftover after frying:
After it cools to room temp, transfer the leftover oil (after frying) to a lidded container and store it in the refrigerator. Refrigeration slows down the further breakdown of the oil during storage.- Use within 2-3 days for medium heat sauteing / stir frying, and for foods that get cooked fairly quickly.
- Do NOT re-use for frying or roasting
Storing leftovers
Ideally, just fry as many mini eggrolls as you think you will consume. They do not reheat well - become chewy and not very appealing. However, the filled eggrolls can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, and in the freezer for up to 4-5 weeks, possibly longer.- Freeze them on a tray/plate well separated from each other; then place them in a single layer in shallow container with a well-fitting lid. Place a parchment/wax paper sheet above the layer and stack another layer on top. Avoid stacking more layers- use another container, if need be.
- To thaw: remove as many as needed and place on a parchment lined plate; cover with a towel and set aside on the counter for about 20-30 min, then fry as directed in the recipe - just before serving.
- wipe off any surface moisture that develops during thawing with a paper towel to prevent oil splatter while frying
Nutrition
Calories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 239mgPotassium: 128mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1427IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
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