Everyday GOHAN by Mario: Spring Rolls

Chinese food and their cooking style is very much incorporated to every day meals in Japan and spring rolls are definitely one of my favorites since childhood. Well, they are deep fried and time consuming so I don't make them so often though. The basic is with pork but many varieties exist, from vegetarian to shrimp&avocado!! They do freeze very well after frying and cooled.

Ingredients (about 30-35 spring rolls)
500g ground pork
100g(dry) vermicelli
300g canned bamboo shoots
2-3 dried shiitake
50g ginger
3-4 stalks of spring onion
2 medium carrots
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. Chinese chicken stock powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp. corn starch

1/3 cup water

30-35 spring roll wrapper

2 tbsp. corn starch/flour & 1/2 cup water as "glue"

vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. Soak both dried shiitake and vermicelli in a plenty of hot water for 30 min. Chop softened shiitake, vermicelli, bamboo shoots, ginger carrots and spring onion finely.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a large wok and fry ginger and spring onion for 2-3 min. Add pork and cook until the color changes. Then add shiitake, bamboo shoots and vermicelli. Season with chicken powder, salt&pepper, drizzle sesame oil and cook for another 2-3 min. Dissolve corn starch in water and pour over the wok to thicken the filling. Turn off the heat and cool to room temperature.

3. Wrap filling. (See the sequence of photos below.) Place wrapper diagonal and place 1-2 tbsp. filling near bottom. Fold over the bottom corner, then both sides. Roll up towards the end and seal the end with starch glue.

* Try to wrap as tight as possible in order not to leave any air pocket!!

4. Heat vegetable oil to 180°C/350°F and fry the rolls until golden brown.