Yummy Meat Springrolls [Lumpiang Shanghai]

You might have noticed that I am going for asian reipes lately, ha,ha,ha...and my homesickness is partly to blame for that but I decided to post this particular one because I kept being asked for it. When people discover that I am Filipino- they will immediately rattle on about the 'Pinoy' dishes they have tried and they would sheepishly ask for recipes & Springrolls are on the top of the list. They are great appetizers and finger foods and I haven't really met anyone who didn't like it, they're also filling so there you go. Try 'em out! NOW!

INGREDIENTS:

500 gms (more or less, up to you) of ground pork
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, minced
1 medium carrot, grated or food-processed (minced)
1 celery stalk (not the whole head),  minced
[all veges must be finely minced pls.]
seasoning: salt, pepper, a bit of *aromat (optional) - fry a tablespoon of the meat mixture and taste, adjust seasoning accordingly. I normally just take a sniff of the mixture and I can tell if it needs more seasoning or not- however if you're not sure just try my suggestion of taste-testing it first.
1 egg, to bind the ingredients better
*cheese slices- cubed, optional
1 packet of Springroll Sheets (not rice wrapper ok? rice wrappers are thinner...and not 'molo' wrappers, they're altogether different)
Cholesterol-free oil for deep frying (the ones with a heart check) I use rice bran oil.

HOW TO:

1. Now what I normally do is pop all the ingredients except for the meat, into a food processor and mince them. Remember- mince & not puree! transfer in a big bowl and set aside...

2. Food process meat IF they aren't fine enough but leave them as is if they are...did that make sense? LOL.

3. Mix everything together, crack in the egg and season to taste. I like lots of pepper in mine :)

*NOW for the wrapper just leave it out to defrost naturallyaround 5-10 minutes. I tried to microwave once and it turned out too brittle and ended up in the rubbish bin, sigh!  anyway, after defrosting- carefully peel sheets one at a time until you have done the whole lot.

4. Lay out wrapper and spread a generous tablespoon of meat mixture onto the whole surface, spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle lightly with grated cheese and then roll the wrapper tightly. Seal edges with a little bit of water, just moisten it. You may prefer to cut them in half or into three's with a clean scissor.

5. Prepare deep-frying equipment- be it a deep fryer, a wok or what I use is a medium sized saucepan. Make sure that the oil is reasonably hot. Make sure you have prepared a plate with a paper towel to drain off any excess oil as well.

6. Keep an eye when frying these because they easily burn...so once they've turned golden brown then scoop them up from the oil and drain well.

Serve with sweet chili sauce or catsup, delish!
That's it :)   enjoy!

COOK'S NOTE: if you want your springrolls chunkier, then just chop the veges or mince them by hand rather than using the machine. There are many varieties of springroll but this is the traditional blend. If you're partial to seafood , you may use canned tuna in place of meat- i also use that sometimes, for a change & it's quite yummy too, just make sure you drain the tuna well and toss in spring onions/scallions in the ingredients. Now- you can store this in the freezer as they keep really well and I usually don't bother to defrost completely before cooking- deep fry from frozen is the way to go, just make sure you separate each piece as they tend to clump together. Also, make sure that the oil you use is reasonably hot -again NOT burning....
You'll love it- I promise!

“... food is not simply organic fuel to keep body and soul together, it is a perishable art that must be savoured at the peak of perfection.” 
E.A. Bucchianeri