Popia mentah / popia basah / popia segar / popia tak goreng

Fresh spring rolls (fresh popia)

Popia served at USM Medical School, lunch for examiners. 

Ingredients

beansprouts (taugeh)

carrots (lobak merah)

sengkuang/bangkwang

soft white tauhu cake (buy from TESCO)

fried tauhu (buy from TESCO)

spring onion

celery

garlic

shallots

popia skin (buy from TESCO/Billion)

1 tablespoonful cooking oil

salt

soy sauce (salty)

powdered white pepper

chilli sauce

plum sauce

tomato sauce

sesame seeds

flour & water 

Method

(1) To make the filling:

Wash and chop all vegetables.

Heat kuali and fry garlic till brown.

Add vegetables and fry lightly till cooked but not overcooked or too soft (mushy).

Add salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste.

Remove from fire and let cool.

Drain excess liquid from the mixture. This is the filling.

(2) To make the popia rolls:

Remove the popia skin from the refrigerator/freezer and thaw at room temperature (about 1 hour).

Carefully tear each piece of popia skin and place on a dinner plate (pinggan makan).

Spread approximately a teaspoon of chilli-plum-tomato sauce (any sauce will do).

Add a tablespoonful of filling and make into a long shape to fit the popia skin. 

Do not overfill as it will be too difficult to manage and fold the popia properly.

Make sure the filling is a bit dry or the popia skin will be soaked and tear before/during folding.

Leave some skin at both sides for folding.

Carefully draw the edge of the popia skin nearest you and fold over filling. 

Roll the popia to get its usual shape, fold in the skin at the sides before the last turn. 

Package the popia neatly and tightly.

Keep rolling till all the popia skin is rolled.

Use any flour and water mixture to hold down the edge of the popia skin. 

Stack each popia on a plate.

Repeat till all popia skin and filling are used.

Now the popia is ready for eating fresh. It is healthier to eat popia fresh or not fried.

Serve with homemade sauce consisting of chilli sauce, plum sauce and tomato sauce and fried sesame seeds.

Can also make popia sauce from scratch.

Can also serve popia with pencicah keropok.

Dig in.

(3) To make fried popia rolls:

Heat kuali and add oil.

Fry each popia till golden and arrange on serving plate.

Serve warm with dipping sauce.

(4) To make coated fried popia rolls:

This is a favourite among kids and easy to chew and digest. Good as snacks for school, picnic, travelling and Hari Raya.

    Additional ingredients:

    2 eggs

    water

    salt

    flour

    powdered white pepper

Prepare fresh popia as above.

Prepare batter: 

     Place flour in bowl.

     Separately beat the eggs and add salt and pepper to taste. 

     Add egg mixture to flour and mix to form a thick batter. Add water if batter is too thick or too dry.

Heat kuali and oil.

Dip each popia in batter, coat the entire popia surface and fry. 

Remove each fried popia and cool on a plate.

Re-dip each cooled/warm fried popia in batter and fry a second time.

This gives a thick fat coat for each popia that kids simply love to eat.

Serve warm with any sauce. 

Re-heat in microwave oven if desired.

Store extra fried popia in freezer and reheat in microwave oven.

Dig in!