During my university years, parties were never really a party without our friend's mum making Filipino Bihon noodles and lumpia spring rolls (recipe). To me it was just staple comfort food that simply gives you a hug and makes you feel loved. For so long I've asked for the recipe or to be shown how to cook this but it never really happened. Fortunately, I recently stumbled upon Pickled Plum's blog and found this recipe. Also known as Bihon Pancit or in my household - bahoon noodles (don't ask why - weird names just happen).

It's pretty easy and can easily be made vegan/vegetarian. Below is my adapted version.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
• ~250g boneless, skinless chicken breast/thigh (sliced into bite size pieces) - for vegans/vegetarians use firm tofu or omit entirely
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• ~400g pack bihon noodles, or thin vermicelli or rice noodles
• Chopped up vegetables such as carrots, cabbage and green beans, scallions (chopped bite size slivers - see picture)
• salt and pepper to taste

Pancit Sauce:

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (I use the vegetarian version)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Light shake of garlic powder
• 
  

For the longest time, whenever we'd go over to our Filipino friend's family's place for parties we'd gorge ourselves on mainly two dishes. One of them being spring rolls. I don't know what it was about these spring rolls that were a million times nicer than any restaurant's. We could eat an entire bowl full and be completely stuffed yet they still kept coming! And we'd just keep eating. Magical spring rolls!

A few years ago, our friend's mum showed me how she makes them. They were very simple. We tried to make them ourselves, soon after being shown, but it just didn't turn out. So we left that alone.

After a few years of not having these magical spring rolls, recently our friend's wife told us about her version. And after trying hers, we got so excited and re-energised about making them. They were similar, except our friend's wife added more pepper and some prawns.

We decided to trying a small batch and they turned out beautifully! It was super tasty as if they had MSG in them but they didn't! It was fantastic! I combined our friend's mum's and wife's recipes and below is our version of these magical spring rolls!

Ingredients
300g mince pork
100g fresh prawns, minced/chopped finely
1 carrot, finely grated
1 egg
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
~1/2 Tblspn oyster sauce
~1 Tblspn soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
~2 to 4 Tblspn finely chopped fresh coriander and/or chives (optional)
1 x 50pkt frozen spring roll pastry (with egg)
Vegetable oil for deep frying or shallow fry with slightly more oil

Method
1. In a bowl combine all the ingredients mentioned above minus the spring roll pastry. Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Set aside.




2. Remove frozen spring roll pastry from freezer and allow to defrost, for most brands, it takes about 50 minutes.

3. Take defrosted pastry out of the packet and wrap with a clean damp tea towel.

4. Place a sheet of pastry on a plate so it sits like a diamond. Place about 1 to 1 1/2 tspn of mince mixture across, on the side slightly closest to you. Fold the corner closest to you over the mixture to form a tight/snug roll and roll away from you. Fold in the left and right corners and continue to roll. Secure with a dab of water at the top tip. Repeat with remaining spring roll sheets.

My funky rolling instructions

Note: If you’re confused about my instructions here is a good guide.




5. Heat oil in fry pan (or deep fryer). You know when the oil is hot enough when you stick something wooden (I use a chopstick) in the oil, it starts to bubble around the wooden item.


6. Slowly lower the spring rolls in, if you’re kind of shallow frying, turn spring rolls after they’re brown on one side (about 1 to 2 minutes per side). depending how big your fry pan is, I usually do about 5 to 6 at one time. Once browned remove from oil, allow excess oil to drip back into pan and place on clean paper towels to further drain away excess oil. Repeat for remaining spring rolls.




7. Serve hot to warm with some chilli sauce on the side.