Purple Cabbage Egg Rolls

Spring Rolls and Egg Rolls? Take a look at another post to learn about the difference.

Shepherd's Purse Spring Rolls

A delicious way to enjoy purple cabbage is by using it as a filling for egg rolls or spring rolls.

PURPLE CABBAGE EGG ROLL RECIPE

Ingredients

Egg rolls

20 to 25 egg roll wrappers. Spring roll wrappers work for this recipe. Spring roll wrappers are thin, so wrap less filling in each roll.
2 small carrots
⅓ of a purple cabbage
6 shiitake mushrooms
1 ½ - 2 oz mung bean noodles or sweet potato noodles
Light soy sauce
White pepper powder
Vegetable oil
Sesame oil
Salt

Dipping sauce

Zhenjiang vinegar
Light soy sauce, optional
Chili oil or chili flake, optional

Instructions

Soak mung bean noodles in warm water for 30 minutes until soft. Soak sweet potato noodles in hot water for 30 minutes.

2. If using dried shiitake mushrooms, rinse them and soak them in water for 1 hour until soft. Squeeze out the water, save the soaking water, and use it as mushroom stock for other recipes. If using fresh mushrooms, rinse and dry.

3. Finely chop or julienne the cabbage and carrot. Add 2 tsp of salt and toss well. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then squeeze out the moisture. Discard the salty water.

4. Drain noodles. Then, finely chop them.

5. Finely chop mushrooms. Add mushrooms and noodles to the cabbage. Add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil, ½ tsp of white pepper powder, 2 tsp of sesame oil, and 2 Tbsp of light soy sauce. Mix well.

I usually use neutral oils like corn, canola, peanut, and soybean. I ran out of them and used olive oil instead when recording this recipe.

6. Follow the instructions in the photos below and wrap egg rolls. Add 3 Tbsp of filling to each wrapper. Avoid overstuffing and breaking the wrapper when frying. Make sure there are 2 to 3 layers of wrappers around the filling. In step 5, spread some water at the corner before rolling it up.

7. Add ½ to 1 cup of vegetable oil to a pan and heat over medium-high heat. The oil should cover ½ of the rolls. Dip a corner of a roll in the oil, and if the oil is sizzling—not too quiet but not too splashy—it's ready to fry. Fry each side for 3 minutes until golden brown.

8. Enjoy Zhenjiang vinegar. The refreshing taste of the vinegar balances out the greasiness of the oil. If you can't get Chinese vinegar, enjoy the rolls with balsamic vinegar or Worcestershire sauce. 2 Tbsp for one serving. Add 2 tsp of optional soy and chili oil or 1/2 tsp of chili flakes.