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How to cook Popiah

Popiah is a soft, thin wheat-flour wrapper rolled around a warm, savoury turnip filling, crisp lettuce, egg, crunchy bits and a sweet-salty sauce. This version has you cook the filling, set out the garnishes and roll each popiah at the table.

Ingredients

For the braised turnip filling

• 1 kg turnip (yam bean / bangkuang), peeled
• 200 g carrot, peeled
• 150 g pork belly or pork shoulder, finely diced
• 100 g raw prawns, peeled, deveined and chopped
• 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until soft, stems removed, finely diced
• 1 tbsp dried shrimp, rinsed, soaked 10 minutes and finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp fermented soybean paste (taucheo), lightly mashed
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 250 ml water (use the mushroom soaking water for part of it)
• 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water

For the omelette and garnishes

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cooking oil, for the pan
• 1 head butter lettuce or green leaf lettuce, leaves washed and dried thoroughly
• 150 g bean sprouts, tails trimmed
• 1 bunch Chinese chives or coriander, cut into 5 cm lengths
• 3 tbsp peanuts, roasted, skinned and coarsely crushed
• 3 tbsp crispy fried shallots
• 2 Chinese sausage (lap cheong), steamed or pan-fried, finely sliced (optional)

For the sauce and chilli

• 4 tbsp sweet dark sauce (tim cheong)
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp chilli sauce, or sambal tumis from a jar

For the wrappers

• 18 fresh popiah skins (spring roll wrappers, about 20 cm, from wet markets or supermarket chilled sections)

Steps

1. Shred the vegetables15 min
   Grate the turnip and carrot on the coarse side of a box grater, or cut into thin matchsticks. You want strands about 5 cm long.
2. Squeeze out the liquid5 min
   Place the shredded turnip and carrot in a clean tea towel or muslin and squeeze hard over a bowl. Keep the liquid and set it aside; it adds flavour later. The shreds should feel damp, not wet.
3. Fry the aromatics3 min
   Heat the oil in a large wok over medium heat. Fry the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant and just turning pale gold, then add the dried shrimp and mushrooms and stir for 2 minutes until they smell toasty.
4. Cook the pork and prawns5 min
   Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the pork and stir-fry for 3 minutes until no pink remains on the outside. Add the prawns and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until they curl and turn opaque and pink throughout.
5. Add the paste and sauces1 min
   Stir in the mashed soybean paste, light soy sauce and oyster sauce. Fry for 1 minute so the paste loses its raw smell and everything is evenly coated.
6. Braise the turnip30 min
   Add the turnip and carrot with the sugar, pepper and 250 ml water (include some of the squeezed liquid). Stir well, cover and simmer on medium-low for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes, until the turnip is very soft and the liquid has mostly reduced.
7. Thicken and cool the filling20 min
   Stir the cornflour mixture and pour it in, stirring for 1 minute until the remaining liquid turns glossy and clings to the shreds. Taste and adjust with a pinch of salt or sugar. Spread the filling on a tray and let it cool for 20 minutes; draining off any pooled juice keeps the wrappers from going soggy.
8. Make the thin omelette8 min
   Beat the eggs with the salt. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat with a thin film of oil. Pour in half the egg and tilt to spread it thin. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until fully set and dry on top, then slide out. Repeat with the rest. Roll the omelettes up and slice into thin ribbons.
9. Blanch the bean sprouts3 min
   Drop the bean sprouts into boiling water for 20 seconds, then drain and refresh under cold water. Drain well and pat dry.
10. Mix the sauce2 min
    Stir the sweet dark sauce, hoisin and 1 tbsp water in a small bowl until smooth and spoonable. Put the chilli sauce in a separate small bowl.
11. Set up the rolling station5 min
    Arrange the filling, omelette ribbons, sprouts, lettuce, chives, peanuts, fried shallots, sausage, sauce and chilli in separate bowls. Keep the popiah skins covered with a slightly damp cloth so they do not dry out and crack.
12. Assemble each popiah2 min
    Lay one skin flat. Brush a thin line of sauce across the middle, then a little chilli. Lay a lettuce leaf over the centre, spoon about 3 tbsp filling on top, then add a little omelette, sprouts, chives, peanuts, shallots and sausage.
13. Roll and seal1 min
    Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in both sides, then roll up tightly like a spring roll, away from you. The skin is naturally a little tacky and seals itself; dab a drop of water on the edge if needed.
14. Slice and serve2 min
    Cut each roll in half or into three pieces with a sharp knife and serve straight away, with extra sauce and chilli on the side.

Tips

• Squeezing the shredded turnip hard and cooling the filling before rolling are the two things that keep the wrappers from tearing or turning soggy.
• Fresh popiah skins dry out fast; keep the stack under a damp cloth and peel off one at a time.
• The filling tastes better after resting, so you can cook it a few hours ahead and roll just before eating.
• Lay the lettuce on the skin first as a barrier between the filling and the wrapper.
• If skins tear while peeling, warm the stack in a covered microwave-safe plate for 10 seconds to loosen them.

Food safety and allergens

Make sure the pork is cooked through with no pink and the prawns are opaque before the filling cools. Refrigerate leftover filling within 2 hours and use within 2 days, reheating until piping hot; assembled popiah is best eaten within 30 minutes of rolling.

Contains: egg, peanuts, shellfish, soy, wheat

Watch it being made

• Popiah - 薄饼The Meatmen Channel · 159,233 views · YouTube
• How to make spring roll wrapper | spring roll sheet | popiah skin | popiah wrapper | lumpia wrapperFoodTrip with Victor · 150,989 views · YouTube
• How To Make Popiah/Fresh Spring RollsFlavours Of Asia · 89,121 views · YouTube

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