Harumaki (Japanese Spring Roll)

i. Roughly chop your pork belly or shoulder into small, bite-sized pieces. This creates a chunky, satisfying texture that ground meat can’t match.

ii. Toss the pork in a mixing bowl with salt, pepper, and a drizzle of toeasted sesame oil, working the seasonings in until each piece glistens.

i. Heat a lidded pan over medium with a thin film of oil, then add shredded cabbage.

ii. When it starts to soften and smell sweet, add chicken bouillon and sake, cover, and simmer 3 minutes to steam and control moisture migration. If it sticks or browns, lower heat and splash in more stock or hot water.

i. Heat a large pan or wok over medium-low and add the seasoned pork. Stir-fry until the pieces are fully cooked and lightly browned.

i. Add your finely chopped fresh ginger and green onion to the cooked pork, stirring until the ginger’s sharp, zingy aroma fills your kitchen. This usually takes about 30 seconds.

ii. Once fragrant, increase the heat to medium-high and toss in your julienned vegetables: carrots, shiitake mushrooms, bell peppers, and bamboo shoots, all cut into thin, uniform matchsticks.

The julienne cut isn’t just for looks. Thin, even strips cook at the same rate, release moisture predictably, and most importantly, roll up neatly without creating lumpy, hard-to-wrap sections.

iii. Stir-fry the vegetables for about 3 minutes until they’ve softened slightly but still have a bit of snap. You’re not fully cooking them here, just getting them started.

i. Now add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a small pinch of sugar to the vegetables, stirring to coat everything evenly. The sugar might seem odd, but it balances the salty depth of the soy and oyster sauces while helping the Maillard reaction along, creating richer browning.

ii. Pour in the cabbage mixture you pre-cooked earlier (the softened cabbage and chicken bouillon), integrating it thoroughly with the vegetables and pork.

iii. Add your glass noodles directly into the pan, making sure they’re submerged in the cooking liquid. As they soften over the next 2-3 minutes, they’ll absorb the savory broth and carry that umami-rich flavor through every bite. Once the noodles have become pliable, you’re ready for the crucial thickening step.

i. Mix cornstarch with cold water in a small bowl to create a smooth slurry. Pour this into the pan and stir immediately, watching as the mixture transforms from soupy to glossy and thick within 30 seconds.

This isn’t just for texture! The cornstarch creates a stable matrix that traps moisture and prevents it from migrating into your wrappers, which is your primary defense against soggy, oil-logged spring rolls.

ii. Simmer for another minute until the raw starch taste cooks off and the filling develops that characteristic silky, gravy-like consistency.

iii. Remove the pan from heat and transfer everything to a wide, shallow container. Spreading it out helps it cool faster and more evenly! Let it cool until it’s comfortable to touch, which usually takes 20-30 minutes at room temperature (THIS IS VITAL!).

iv. Once cool, use kitchen scissors to snip the noodles into shorter lengths, which makes portioning and rolling infinitely easier.

v. Divide the filling into equal portions matching your wrapper count. This pre-portioning ensures uniform rolls and prevents that frustrating moment when you’re down to your last wrapper with way too much filling left.

i. Mix flour and water in a small bowl at a 1:2 ratio to create a paste. This acts as your edible glue for sealing each roll. Place one spring roll wrapper in front of you, positioned like a diamond (one corner pointing toward you).

Harumaki wrappers have a smooth side and a rough side. The smooth side should face outward when rolled, so place the wrapper rough-side-up.

If you can’t tell visually, run your fingertip across both sides. The textured surface is subtle but noticeable.

i. Place one portion of filling horizontally across the wrapper, slightly below center, leaving about an inch of space on each side.

ii. Pull the bottom corner up and over the filling snugly. This first roll should be tight to eliminate air pockets.

iii. Now fold the left and right corners inward, pressing them down firmly to create an envelope shape with no gaps at the edges. Any trapped air will expand during frying and can blow out your carefully sealed seams.

iv. Roll the wrapper upward once or twice (depending on wrapper size), stopping before you reach the top corner.

v. Brush the flour paste along the exposed edges of that final flap, then roll once more to seal completely. Press down gently but firmly along the entire seam. You’re creating a strong bond that needs to withstand hot oil and internal steam pressure.

The roll should feel compact and slightly flattened, which actually helps it fry more evenly by preventing it from rolling around in the oil.

i. Pour about 2 cm (roughly 3/4 inch) of neutral oil into a heavy pan or wok. Heat the oil over medium heat to 160°C (320°F), using a thermometer to verify.

ii. Once the oil reaches temperature, carefully place 3-4 harumaki in the pan with the sealed point facing down. This orientation uses the oil’s weight to press the seal closed as it sets, preventing any last-minute separations.

Don’t overcrowd! Adding too many rolls at once drops the temperature dramatically, leading to oil-soaked, limp wrappers instead of crispy ones.

iii. Fry the harumaki for 3-4 minutes on the first side, watching as the wrapper transforms from pale and matte to glossy and light golden.

iv. Once the underside has reached a warm honey color, carefully flip each roll using tongs or chopsticks. Fry the second side for another 3-4 minutes.

The thing is, our filling is already cooked, so you’re just heating it through and achieving that all-over crunch. So ideally, trust your eyes over clock for this!

v. Transfer the finished harumaki to a wire rack, allowing excess oil to drip away while steam escapes from all sides. Resting them on paper towels can trap steam underneath, softening the bottom, so a rack is ideal if you have one.

vi: For the classic Japanese presentation, serve the rolls whole or cut diagonally into halves with a small dish of soy sauce and a dab of karashi (Japanese hot mustard) on the side.