Thailand Poh Pia Tod (Fried Spring Rolls)
Poh pia tod are fried spring rolls made using varying recipes that, while being passed down through generations of families, are unlikely to be the same from one recipe to the next. They are traditionally made without meat, but with fish and/or oyster sauce, and contain a number of vegetables and herbs. While customarily deep-fried, poh pia tod can alternatively be baked in the oven. Recipe Servings: Makes 40 spring rolls
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
45 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 40 6 x 6-inch (15 x 15-cm)) frozen spring roll skins, thawed and kept under a kitchen towel
- 8 oz (226 g) firm tofu, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) long match sticks
- 2.8 oz (80 g) dried glass noodles or mung bean threads, soaked until pliable and cut into 6-inch (15-cm) pieces
- 1 1/4 cup (226 g) fresh bean sprouts
- 2 Tbsp (20 g) dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked in warm water until pliable, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp (20 g) peeled garlic
- 2 Tbsp (20 g) finely chopped cilantro stems or roots
- 1/2 Tbsp (4 g) whole white peppercorns
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) fish sauce
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) water or sodium-free broth
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) vegetable oil, for frying
- Thai sweet chili sauce
Directions
- With a mortar and pestle, make seasoning paste by grinding together garlic, cilantro roots, and peppercorns. Set aside.
- Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil in a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Fry seasoning paste until fragrant.
- Add tofu, followed by mushrooms and bean threads/glass noodles.
- Add water or broth, fish sauce, and oyster sauce to the mixture. Stir-fry until bean threads/glass noodles begin to soften.
- Observe the moisture in the pan and adjust heat accordingly—the mixture should not be too wet, but also not so dry that it burns.
- Once excess moisture has evaporated and bean threads/glass noodles have softened, add bean sprouts. Cook just until sprouts are wilted.
- Remove skillet from heat and allow filling to cool completely. Filling must be completely cool before use to avoid producing steam that will tear spring roll skins.
- Fill each spring roll skin with 1–2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) of filling mixture. Roll up skin to seal, tucking sides in as you go to keep mixture inside.
- Pour remaining vegetable oil into an 8-inch (20-cm) skillet over medium-high heat. Fry 3–4 spring rolls at a time, cooking evenly on all sides, until crispy and golden brown. Repeat until all spring rolls are fried.
- If frying is not desired, place spring rolls on a baking sheet and brush the outsides thoroughly with vegetable oil. Bake seam-side down at 375? (190?) until crispy.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately with sweet chili sauce and/or peanut sauce.
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