Homemade Egg Rolls

Everyone loves eggrolls, right?  Whether fried, steamed, or baked - they are a family favorite!  And you can feed a crowd with only a few ingredients!  Win/win!  So, here's my take on homemade Egg Rolls.

1 pkg prepared egg roll wrappers
2 or 3 lg carrots, shredded
2 or 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 lg onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and chopped (I used red)
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
1 can bean sprouts, drained
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp cumin
cooking oil
optional - 1 can chicken (or 1 cup any other cooked and finely chopped meat or fish)

Shred and chop the veggies and mix in a large bowl.  Add soy sauce and spices and stir in meat if desired.  You can add other spices and adjust the taste as you like.  Let set 10 minutes.
              

Remove wrappers from packaging and cover with a damp cloth or paper towel.

Fill the center of each wrapper with a large spoonful of the vegetable mixture, taking care to drain any excess liquid from each spoonful.

Fold the corners to meet as shown,

then fold over and roll from the other side.

Seal with a bit of water and set aside - use a pastry brush or just dip your finger and run along the side like moistening an envelope.  Just press it gently down and it's sealed.

These cook quickly, so it's best to make them up first and cover with damp towel (or have another set of hands to help roll them as they fry) 

In a deep fryer, or large deep skillet, add at least 1 inch of cooking oil.  Heat to med/high.  Drop rolls carefully into hot oil and cook until bottom side is brown, approximately 3 minutes on my stove.  Turn and cook other side until done (approximately 1 1/2 minutes).  Remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and drain on paper towels. Continue until all are done.  Makes approximately 20 large egg rolls. 

You can keep them crispy in a warm oven for half an hour or so until ready to serve. 

Serve with soy sauce, hot mustard, or sweet and sour sauce.   Great appetizer or meal!  Yummmy!

These can be frozen and reheated in the oven to retain the crunch.  You can also steam or bake your eggrolls for a more healthy alternative.