Vegetarian Popiah
These fresh spring rolls, or popiah, feature a delicate, thin wrapper filled with a savory and sweet jicama and carrot stir-fry. They are a popular snack in Southeast Asia, offering a delightful contrast of textures and flavors. This vegetarian version is deeply satisfying and refreshing.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Allergen information: may contain gluten, peanuts, and soy. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
filling
- 500 gjicama, peeled and julienned
- 2 pcscarrot, peeled and julienned
- 3 clovegarlic, minced
- 2 tbspsoy sauce
- 1 tbspvegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tspsugar
- 0.5 tspwhite pepper
- 2 tbspvegetable oil
assembly
- 8 pcspopiah skin
- 8 pcslettuce leaf
- 4 tbspchili sauce
- 4 tbspsweet bean sauce
garnish
- 2 tbsproasted peanut, crushed
- 1 tbspfried shallot
Equipment
wok · large pan · cutting board · knife
The method
Step by step
- 1
Prepare the jicama and carrots by peeling and julienning them into thin strips.
About 15 min
Cook’s note: A mandoline can make julienning much faster and more consistent.
- 2
Mince the garlic cloves.
About 2 min
- 3
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat.
About 1 min
- 4
Add the minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- 5
Add the julienned jicama and carrots to the pan.
- 6
Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
About 5 min
- 7
Pour in the soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper.
- 8
Mix well and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes, or until the jicama is tender-crisp and most of the liquid has evaporated.
About 15 min
Cook’s note: The jicama should be cooked through but still retain a slight bite.
- 9
Remove the filling from heat and let it cool completely.
About 20 min
Cook’s note: Cooling the filling prevents the popiah skin from tearing.
- 10
Lay a popiah skin flat on a clean surface.
- 11
Spread a thin layer of sweet bean sauce and chili sauce over the skin.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Adjust the amount of chili sauce to your spice preference.
- 12
Place a lettuce leaf on top of the sauces.
- 13
Spoon a generous amount of the cooled jicama and carrot filling onto the lettuce leaf.
About 1 min
- 14
Sprinkle with crushed roasted peanuts and fried shallots.
- 15
Fold in the sides of the popiah skin, then roll it up tightly from the bottom, similar to a burrito.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: Roll tightly to prevent the filling from falling out.
- 16
Repeat with the remaining popiah skins and filling.
About 5 min
- 17
Serve immediately, whole or sliced in half diagonally.
Keep it good
Store leftover filling and wrappers separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
The filling can be gently reheated in a pan, but assembled popiah are best eaten fresh and cold.
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