Japanese Spring Rolls (Harumaki)

Steps

1. 1

   Soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms in 200 ml of water for 15 minutes. Once softened, squeeze out the excess water (reserving 100 ml of the soaking liquid for the sauce) and slice the mushrooms into fine strips.

   Start 15-minute timer
2. 2

   Briefly boil the rice noodles (vermicelli) according to package instructions, drain well, and chop them into small pieces.

3. 3

   Prepare the vegetables: cut the carrots, bell pepper, and spring onion into fine strips. Grate the ginger.

4. 4

   In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and brown the ground pork.

5. 5

   Add the prepared carrots, bell pepper, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and grated ginger to the pan. Sauté briefly until the vegetables begin to soften.

6. 6

   Stir in the chopped rice noodles and the sauce ingredients (100 ml mushroom water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sake, sugar, and salt).

7. 7

   Mix 2 tablespoons of water with 1.5 tablespoons of potato starch to create a slurry. Pour this into the pan and stir until the filling thickens. Remove from heat and let the filling cool completely.

8. 8

   Prepare the sealing paste by mixing 3 tablespoons of water with 1.5 tablespoons of flour.

9. 9

   Place about 1.5 tablespoons of the cooled filling onto a spring roll sheet. Fold the bottom corner over the filling, tuck in the side edges, and roll tightly. Seal the final edge with the flour-water mixture.

10. 10

    Heat oil in a pan or deep fryer. Fry the rolls for 2–3 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown and crispy.

    Start 3-minute timer
11. 11

    Serve immediately with a dip made of equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar, or your favorite dipping sauce.