Halloumi Spring Rolls 哈魯米起司炸春捲
Happy Shavuot! Happy eating dairy day! For the Shavuot this year, instead of making cheesecakes, I am making these spring rolls instead. I am serving mine with honey chili crisp (recipe below!), adding some kick and some sweetness to these crispy cheesy spring rolls to celebrate this holiday! Chag Sameach!
Halloumi Spring Roll 哈魯米春捲
Yield about 10 rolls
Ingredients
Halloumi Cheese, 8 oz, cut vertically into 4” sticks
Large basil leaves, a bunch
Rice paper, 16cm, equal amount as the sticks
Canola oil for frying
Chili crisp, 1 TBS, optional
Honey, 1 tsp, optional
Instructions
Prepare a bowl of water, soak one race paper at a time in the water for about 5-6 seconds. The rice paper will still be somewhat stiff, set it flat on a clean working surface, wait for several more seconds if needed for it to be soft enough to roll.
Place one basil leaf vertically, on one end of the rice paper close to you. Place one halloumi stick horizontally onto the basil leaf. Roll the rice paper up, try to roll it as tight as possible without breaking the rice paper. When rolled up to about half way, fold the left and right edges in, like you are rolling a burrito. Continue to roll after both sides of edges are folded in. Roll it all the way up like a cigar roll. Lightly press the seam together, rest the roll on a clean pate with the seam side down. Repeat for the rest of the batch.
In a heavy bottom pot, pour in enough canola oil until it comes up to about 1” from the bottom. Heat it over medium heat until when sticking a chopstick in, small bubbles immediately emerge around the chopstick.
Place 3-4 rolls at a time into the pot, depending on the size of the pot. Do not overcrowd the pot, it will affect the temperature of the oil. Leave the rolls without moving them for about 30 seconds. Rotate to the other side once the bottom is not sticky to the pan anymore. Fry the rolls until they start turning golden brown at places. Remove them from the pot and transfer to a cooling rack. Repeat the frying for the rest of the batch.
If you have any basil leaves left at this point, dry them out thoroughly and fry them in the pot for several seconds. The leaves will turn bright green when ready. Remove immediately and place them on the cooling rack.
Optional dressing option is the honey chili chips. Mix the chili crisp and honey together. If too thick, add ⅛-¼ tsp of chili oil to loosen it up just enough.
Serve the halloumi spring roll along with the dried basil if any, right away while hot.
