Crispy Asian Rice Paper Rolls – savory vegetables in golden crispy rice paper

Golden and crispy on the outside, soft, flavorful and packed with vegetables on the inside: these crispy Asian rice paper rolls feel a little like street food — yet they are surprisingly easy to make at home.
The aromatic filling of cabbage, mushrooms, carrots and spring onions is wrapped in rice paper and pan-fried until beautifully crispy. Perfect as a savory snack, finger food or a light meal with dip.

Quick Overview

🕒 Preparation time: 50 minutes
👩🏼‍🍳 Difficulty: easy

Ingredients for 12-16 rolls

• Rice paper
• 200 g cabbage (white cabbage or Napa cabbage), finely shredded
• 120 g carrots (about 2 medium carrots), finely grated
• 180 g mushrooms, very finely chopped
• 60 g mung bean sprouts
• 40 g spring onions, finely sliced
• 1–2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, finely grated
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp agave syrup or maple syrup
• Black pepper to taste
• ½ tsp salt for drawing moisture out of the cabbage
• Optional: 1 small chili pepper, finely chopped, or a little sambal oelek
• Oil for frying
• Optional: cornstarch
• Optional for serving: sesame seeds, fresh parsley or cilantro

Instructions

Prepare the cabbage

1. Mix the cabbage with ½ tsp salt and let it sit for 5–10 minutes.
2. Then squeeze it firmly with your hands to remove about 60–80 ml of liquid. The filling should be fairly dry so the rice paper does not tear later.

Cook the filling

3. Add the mushrooms to a hot pan without oil and cook for about 3–5 minutes until they release their moisture and become fairly dry.
4. Add 1 tbsp oil, garlic and ginger.
5. Then add the cabbage and carrots and cook everything for another 3–4 minutes.
6. Add the mung bean sprouts and cook briefly.
7. Next, add soy sauce, sesame oil, syrup and black pepper.
8. Finally, fold in the spring onions.

The filling should be soft and flavorful, but as dry as possible.
Let the filling cool down completely.

Shape the rice paper rolls

9. Dip 2 sheets of rice paper at the same time into a bowl of water for about 5 seconds, then place them onto a board.
10. Let them rest for about 20 seconds with the rough side facing upward. This allows the rice paper to soften further and become elastic without tearing too quickly.

11. Place about 1 generously heaped tablespoon of filling onto the lower part of the rice paper.

12. Fold in the sides and roll everything up tightly from the bottom. Do not pull too firmly, as rice paper tears easily.
13. For extra crispy rolls, lightly brush them with oil or coat them briefly in cornstarch.
14. Heat 2–3 tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat (about level 7 out of 9). Fry the rice paper rolls without stacking or overlapping them, as the rice paper sticks together very quickly. Cook for about 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Rice paper browns quickly, so keep a close eye on the rolls while frying.

Serving Suggestion

Sprinkle the finished rice paper rolls with sesame seeds and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired.
They pair especially well with sweet and spicy dips, creamy peanut sauce or simply soy sauce for dipping.

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