Chinese New Year Lucky Food: Spring Rolls with Chinese Leek and Shrimp (韭菜虾仁春卷)

韭菜虾仁春卷 (Jiu Cai Xia Ren Chun Juan)

A super delicious traditional Chinese spring roll that uses Chinese leek and shrimp.
Spring roll (春卷) is a traditional delicacy that was usually only consumed during Chinese new year, when people had feasts after one year of hard work. Due to the nature of deep frying, they are not typically consumed on a daily basis.

Yellow Chinese leek (韭黄) is probably the best spring roll filling. Yellow Chinese leek has a unique flavor, it is usually only available during winter season, it takes special steps to grow, thus it is very pricy. US Chinese grocery stores might carry it in winter times with a high price tag.

Use green Chinese leek as alternative, it is equally good.

For more fun cooking ideas, see Recipes by Category.


Ingredients (Essential Ingredients for Cooking Authentic Chinese Food)

• 1/3 lb. Chinese leek
• 1/4 lb. shrimp
• 1/2 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of sugar
• 1 teaspoon canola oil.

Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  20 minutes
Servings: about 16 spring rolls

Prepare the Filling

1. Clean 1/3 lb. Chinese leek, fine chop into small bits. Add to a large mixing bowl.
2. Clean 1/4 lb. shrimp, remove skin and veins, cut into small bits, add to the mixing bowl.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon corn starch, 1 teaspoon canola oil, a pinch of sugar, mix evenly. The filling will make around 16 spring rolls.

Tip: The corn starch will bind the water from the leek and shrimp to keep them leaking from the spring roll.

Make the Spring Roll

4. Buy one pack of Chinese spring roll wrapper from Chinese grocery store. Usually frozen, thus you need to thaw them before using. You can thaw at room temperature.
5. Get one sheet of spring roll wrapper, place on a flat surface (a cutting board for example).
6. Put 2 tablespoon leek and shrimp mixture on the center of the wrapper.

Tip: Avoid putting too much filling to the wrapper, the raw shrimp needs to be fully cooked, if putting too much filling, while the wrapper might be crispy, but the filling, especially the shrimp might not be fully cooked.

Flour and water mix to make the edge of the wrapper stick with the spring roll.

 
   Store the unused wrappers in the freezer.

Deep fry the spring roll

7. Family kitchens usually do not have professional deep frying equipment. There is one alternative.

   Use a small cooking pot (such as 6 inch pot), add oil to 1-2 inch deep. Use medium heat to heat the oil. Use wood or bamboo chopstick to test if the oil is ready for deep drying, dip chopstick tip to the oil, if there are bubbles coming out around the tip, it means it it ready for deep frying, turn heat to medium (or medium low to avoid fumes and spills).

8. Place spring rolls (the number depends on the size of the frying pot) to the oil, fry 1-2 minutes or until the bottom side turns golden color, flip to fry the other side for 1-2 minutes or until it turns golden color. Take out and put to a plate, let them cool down a little bit, serve fresh.

Tip: Cover the pot while deep frying, which reduces the fume and spill. 1 inch deep oil is actually enough for deep frying the spring roll.