It has become a tradition in our family to cook like Mama Li. In this article, you will find some of her best recipes for egg rolls, spring rolls, and dumplings… and a few bonus recipes!

Traditional Pork Egg Rolls

This is one of the most Classic Chinese egg rolls. It is a balanced mix of ground pork and vegetables. It is a tasty appetizer and a must-have for pork lovers.

Serves 10 pieces | Preparation time 25 minutes | Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 10 egg roll wrappers
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed in water to seal the egg rolls
• Oil for frying

Pork mix ingredients

• ½ pound ground pork
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tablespoon soya sauce
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon white sugar

Vegetable mix ingredients

• 2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
• 1carrot, shredded, medium-sized
• ¼ head of green cabbage, shredded
• 5 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine
• 1 teaspoon soya sauce
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, separated
• 2 teaspoons rice wine
• 2-3 teaspoons soya sauce
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• Salt and Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Preparation

1. Begin the preparation by marinating the filling. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the ground pork, and let it marinate for 10 minutes.
2. Grate the vegetables and the mushrooms.
3. Coat a wok or a large frying pan with the grapeseed oil on medium-high heat. Add the pork, and fry till the color changes. Remove the pork from the wok to a plate and set aside.
4. Add grapeseed oil and vegetables to the wok. Begin with ginger and garlic, and follow with vegetables, stirring constantly.
5. Once everything is fried and soft, add the sesame oil, rice wine, soya sauce, sugar, and black pepper. Cook for one minute on low heat.
6. Finally, add the pork back in and mix everything. Cook for another minute.
7. Remove from heat, and let it cool.
8. Try and remove the extra moisture with paper towels.
9. Spread the egg wraps on a flat surface. Fill each of them with one tablespoon of the filling.
10. Roll and seal them perfectly using the water and corn starch mixture.
11. Once done, cover the egg rolls with a clean, wet towel so that they do not dry.
12. Refrigerate for 4 hours before frying them in oil.

 

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Roll

Yields 8 spring rolls | Preparation time 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 rice wrappers
• 8 large cooked shrimp, cut in half
• 3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
• 8 lettuce leaves
• ⅓ cup Thai basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 4 teaspoons fish sauce
• 2 ounces rice vermicelli
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon chili sauce
• 1 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
• Water

Preparation

1. Cook the rice vermicelli according to package instructions.
2. Drain the water. Place the vermicelli in a bowl. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, chili sauce, and hoisin sauce. Mix well. Set vermicelli aside.
3. Prepare all your ingredients at arm’s reach of the working surface where you will prepare the rolls.
4. Fill a large enough bowl with warm water to fit the rice paper.
5. Dip the wraps one by one in the water for a few seconds.
6. Once soft, place on a dry and flat surface.
7. At the center of the wrapper, start layering the ingredients one by one. Start with the lettuce leaves, then the shrimp, basil leaves, mint, cilantro, crushed peanuts, and finish with the vermicelli.
8. Leave enough space for folding. Roll the wrap from one end to the other to seal the ingredients inside.
9. Serve with peanut sauce.

 

Vegetable Lumpia

Serves 16 | Preparation time 15 minutes | Cooking time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1½ cups tofu, firm
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1½ cups cabbage, grated
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 2 cloves, garlic, minced
• 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup oyster sauce
• 1 egg
• 16 spring roll wrappers
• 4 tablespoons sesame oil
• Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of sesame oil in a skillet or a wok, add onion and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
2. Add remaining vegetables, and sauté until tender (3-4 minutes).
3. Add soaked noodles, soy sauce, and oyster sauce into the skillet and combine, set aside.
4. Open your package of spring rolls, and place all but one wrapper under a clean, damp, dishcloth to ensure wrappers do not dry out.
5. Set your wrapper on a flat surface with one corner pointed at you.
6. Place a tablespoon of filling on the bottom of the wrapper, about two inches above the corner point.
7. Fold the bottom part of the wrapper over the filling, and then fold the sides over the filling, so you have what almost looks like an envelope with a long flap.
8. Roll the spring roll away from you until you get about two inches from the top, brush the edges at the top with your egg wash, complete roll. Repeat.
9. Fill a heavy pot halfway up with oil for frying.  Warm the oil on medium heat until it reaches 350ºF/177ºC. You can also use a wok or a deep-frying machine. Deep-fry spring rolls until golden, about 1-2 minutes on each side.
10. Place spring rolls on a plate lined with paper towels to catch any excess oil before serving.
11. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

 

Classic Chinese Dumplings

Serves 60 pieces | Preparation time 1 hour 30 minutes | Cooking time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For Dumpling

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cup cold water
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For Filling

• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1½ cup Napa cabbage, shredded
• 4 tablespoons bamboo shoots, shredded
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Egg wash for sealing

Preparation

1. Start by making the dough. Mix the salt and the dough thoroughly in a large bowl. Slowly add the water and mix to form a ball of dough.
2. Knead the dough till it is extremely smooth and elastic. Cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
3. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Add the pork to a large mixing bowl. Add the rice wine vinegar, salt, soy sauce, and white pepper. Mix thoroughly to ensure the consistency of the mixture. Set aside.
4. Warm 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add the green onions, Napa cabbage, and bamboo shoots. Sauté until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let cool down for a few minutes.
5. Add the vegetable mixture to the pork. Mix well.
6. After half an hour, with a rolling pin on a lightly floured working surface, roll the dough. Use a cookie cutter or a glass to make the nice round even wrappers of about 2-2½-inch wide.
7. Place 1 teaspoon to 1½ teaspoon of the pork filling onto one half of the wrapper. Seal the dumpling by brushing lightly with some egg wash on the edges. Press lightly to seal.
8. You can cook the dumplings by either steaming or boiling them.
9. When boiling, add them to the pot only when the water has started boiling. Let them boil for 12 minutes.
10. If you are using a bamboo steamer, place cabbage, bok choy or large lettuce leaves at the bottom of the steamer. It will prevent the dumplings from sticking to the bottom. Arrange the dumpling so they do not touch. Steam for 15 minutes.
11. You can also fry them after they have been boiled or steamed for added flavor.

 

Spicy Soy Dumpling Dipping Sauce

Yields about ¾ cup

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons light soya sauce
• 3 tablespoons dark soya sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chili oil
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated

Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients in a container.
2. Store it in an airtight container.
3. Refrigerate it for 1 hour before serving.

 

Steamed Barbecue Pork Buns

Serves 16 buns | Preparation time 60 minutes | Cooking time 60 minutes

Ingredients

Filling ingredients

• ½ cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 pork loin roast
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon rice wine
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Salt and pepper

Dough ingredients

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white sugar
• 3½ teaspoons baking powder
• 6 tablespoons whole milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation

Making the Filling

1. In a bowl, mix the broth, ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Mix them thoroughly and set aside.
2. Dice the pork into ¼-inch pieces to fill up around 1½ cups.
3. Heat a wok and add vegetable oil to it on medium-high heat. Once the oil is heated, add onions to the wok. Cook the onion till tender and golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the pork and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the rice wine vinegar to it and stir.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the sauce. Keep stirring till the sauce thickens, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, and let the mixture cool.

Making the Dough

1. Mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl.
2. Slowly add milk to this mixture. Mix with your fingers. Add 3 tablespoons of water and continue kneading the dough.
3. Add some of the vegetable oil and continue kneading.
4. Knead the dough for another 10 minutes to make it very smooth.
5. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle some flour on it and knead some more.
6. Let the dough rest for 60 minutes before you start making the buns.

Making the Buns

1. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Make them into balls.
2. With your fingers, form a well in each dough ball so you can insert the filling.
3. Add the pork filling.
4. Pull the dough over the fillings to cover it completely and then twist the top to seal it completely.
5. Repeat the same for all the 16 buns.

Cooking the Buns

1. In a wok, boil approximately 6 cups of water.
2. Place some Napa cabbage leaves on the bottom of the bamboo steamer. Place your buns in. Remember not to crowd the steamers.
3. Place the steamers on the top of the wok to steam the buns.
4. Steam them continuously till they become fluffy and their top opens. This takes around 15-20 minutes.
5. Serve warm.

 

 

***These recipes and more can be found in Sarah Spencer’s Best Egg Roll, Spring Roll, and Dumpling Recipes from Mama Li’s Kitchen. To get a copy of this book, click on the cover or here.

To print or download a copy of the featured recipes, click here.