Popiah is a Chinese dish popular in Southeast Asia, similar to a spring roll but with a longer ingredient list and a special crepe-like wrapper. It usually contains shredded vegetables, meat, and sauces, and is often sold from food stalls in Singapore. The wrapper is made from a flour-based dough and filled with a variety of ingredients before being rolled up tightly and eaten.
Popiah is a southern Chinese dish that is eaten in many Southeast Asian countries. It is similar to a spring roll, except it usually has a much longer ingredient list and is encased in a special crepe-like wrapper. A popiah usually contains shredded or julienned vegetables, including turnips, carrots, jicima, and cabbage, although many others are often used. Sometimes meat is also included, especially pork belly, chicken, or even seafood such as shrimp. The wrapper is made in a special way to ensure it is very thin and is often covered with a sweet sauce or chili sauce before being filled and rolled.
As much social food as it is a quick treat, it is commonly sold from food stalls on the streets of Singapore. There are popiah parties, where all the ingredients and sauces are laid out, buffet-style, for guests to choose from as they assemble their own sandwiches. The ingredients are, in general, divided into three sections: the vegetables, the meat, the sauces and the spices. The types of fillings vary according to taste, but the most commonly sold popia at food stalls generally contain mostly carrots, turnips, and pork.
One of the unique parts of making popiah is forming the wrapper or skin. Start by making a flour-based dough – sometimes rice flour or wheat flour – and mixing it with water until it forms a very loose, wet dough. This dough is repeatedly lifted and slapped onto a counter until long strings begin to form.
Some of the dough is taken in hand and quickly rolled onto a hot skillet or other cooking surface. This way, only a thin layer of dough catches on the heated zone, leaving the rest of the dough raw. The thin pancake is cooked quickly and removed from the heat, after which the process is repeated until all of the batter has been made into thin crepes.
Typical vegetable fillings for popiah include cabbage, turnips, carrots, tofu, green beans, and bamboo shoots. These are shredded or cut into very thin strips. They can be stir-fried, steamed, or blanched. It is traditional to use mainly fresh and seasonal vegetables.
The type of meat used can be pretty much anything, or meat can be left out altogether. Pork belly that is boiled and then shredded is a common stuffing. Shrimp, chicken, Chinese sausage and beef can also be used. The meat is generally not seasoned, except with a little salt.
The assembly of popiah begins with the skin. Any sauces, such as chili sauce or hoisin sauce, are spooned onto the wrapper, which is covered with a lettuce leaf to help hold the ingredients. The filling is placed inside the lettuce leaf and seasoned with any desired flavorings, such as fried garlic or cooked eggs. Then it is rolled up tightly and is ready to eat.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
