Popiah: Fresh Spring Rolls
Popiah is a Teochew word for “thin pancake” and it’s derived from spring rolls (named after the bountiful spring harvest). Originally from the Fujian Province in China, popiah has evolved into a special dish of its own in Malaysia and Singapore. Families throw popiah parties where they get to roll their own popiah and add their own favorite toppings.
It’s typically enjoyed during Lunar New Year due to the spring celebrations, but you can make it for any other special occasions. It’s best enjoyed with a large group of people who can help you prepare all the toppings! This stew will be enough for a group of 10 or more, depending on their appetites! It can also be modified for vegetarians by eliminating the pork and prawns, and using vegetable broth instead.
Popiah: Fresh Spring Rolls
Ingredients
Broth:
- 4 strips pork belly
- 1.5 kg medium prawns heads separated for broth
- 6 cloves garlic
- Salt to taste
Main Ingredients:
- ¾ cup cooking oil
- 1 head garlic peeled and minced
- 3 packets large firm tofu cut into small matchsticks
- 1.5 kg medium prawns body cut into small pieces
- 6 jicamas peeled and grated
- 5 carrots peeled and grated
- 3 cups French beans sliced at an angle
- Salt to taste
- Fresh popiah wrappers*
Toppings and Condiments:
- Sweet flour sauce**
- Fried golden brown chopped garlic
- Cucumber cut into matchsticks
- Blanched bean sprouts
- Omelette sliced thinly
- Lettuce leaves
- Blended fresh red chili or sauce from a jar
- Blended fresh garlic optional for a spicy kick
- Coriander leaves
Instructions
- Blanch the strips of pork belly in boiling water to remove any scum. Place them in a large pot along with prawn heads and add enough water to cover them over an inch or so. Throw in garlic cloves and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the pork belly is cooked. Add salt to taste. Remove the strips of pork belly to cool, discard the prawn heads and garlic cloves. Reserve the broth.
- Fry the minced garlic with ¾ cup of vegetable oil in a large wok or deep pot. When the garlic oil is fragrant, remove and pour into a bowl. You will use that to fry the other ingredients.
- Using the garlic oil, fry the strips of tofu in the same wok. Remove when they are slight golden brown and set aside.
- Slice the pork belly into thin pieces and then into matchstick sizes. Add some garlic oil into the same wok and fry the pork belly with the chopped up prawn. Add a teaspoon of sugar for flavor.
- Remove the pork and prawn mix into a large plate and set aside.
- In the same wok, add the rest of the garlic oil and stir in the jicama, carrots and French beans. Continue frying until the ingredients are softer. Add the broth until it resembles a thick vegetable stew. Stir in the pork and prawn mix, and the tofu. Bring it to a boil and simmer for an hour, covered with a lid. Eyeball the level of broth needed. The stew should be wet but not soupy. Add salt to taste.
- When wrapping a popiah, lay a spring roll sheet on a large plate. Spread the sweet sauce, chili paste and garlic paste (if using) on one side of the skin and lay a piece of lettuce leaf on top of it. Put about two tablespoons of stew on top of the lettuce and sprinkle the toppings you like on top of the stew. Wrap it like you would wrap a burrito. Enjoy!
Notes