Popiah - The Art of Wrapping

On the rare occasions that I make Popiah I try to make a big a bash I could. But no matter how much I make, most is gone by the next day, at the very least! It's just how amazing how fast this easy meal goes. It's fun to eat as you make your own individual popiah and it's also heathly (well...at least I like to delude myself).



Popiah is simply an asian version of a wrap. It's filling is predominately vegetables and the rest of the wraps are mise en place. I've a love-hate relationship with Popiah. I love to eat it but I hate making it and cleaning after it! Just too much work involved and all the food's all gone before you can really enjoy it! LOL

And for the some weird mysterious reason, I can't wrap the popiah to save my life!! Each time I do it, the whole thing just either falls apart or starts to leak!! It's another reason why I hate making this, I can't get a relly nice wrap from it. My husband makes his like a giant burrito when it's supposed to look like a delicate little wrap! He tells me that's the way to prevent the "leakage" and besides you want to get as much you can inside! Totally gross-ness! In any case I try my best to present you the Popiah as close as the ones I usually see at the stores back home...oh well...at least I try... if any one has any tips on getting it "right", plz tell me....:)

Popiah Filling Recipe
Ingredients
-Jicama, 2 mediums
-Carrots, 3 mediums
-Garlic, 3 segments
-Dried shrimps, a handful, rehydrated and drained
-Belly Pork, diced (truly optional)

Method
-Julienne the jicama and carrots, minced garlic and dried shrimps and diced the pork into small pieces.
-Heat some oil in a wok, add garlic and shrimps, fry at medium heat till fragrant.
-Add pork at this point and fry a little bit.
-Finally add carrots and jicama and fry for a while. Add some sugar, salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture seems dry, add some hot water to start steamning all the vegetables. Both the jicama and carrots takes a while to soften. "Steamed" at low heat and covered for at least 15mins. If there's too much liquid at this point, scoop it out, if there's a little liquid, leave it uncovered and heated and the liquid will reduce quite a bit.
-Stirring constantly till the filling's softened but not breaking apart.
-Scoop and leave aside.

Mise En Place
Ingredients
-2 Eggs, Hard Boiled or Scrambled
-1 Chinese Sausage, Boiled, Skinned, and Diced
-2 TBPS minced garlic
-Bean Sprouts, Raw or Blanched lightly
-Letteuce Leaves, Washed and dried
-Popiah Skins, Buy those ready made ones for Spring Rolls (or make your own! :))
-Sweet Dark Soy Sauce or Kecap Manis (I used the ABC Brand)
-Chilli Sauce (I used the bottled Vietnamese Chilli Garlic Sauce)

Method
-Put each ingredient in individual plates or bowls for each person to make their own "speical" wrap.

Popiah (What I do)
-Putting everything together!
-First place 1-2 Popiah/Spring Roll skin on a clean dry plate.
-Add 1 dry letteuce leave on top, add about 1 1/2 Tablespoon of filling on that.
-Then add a little eggs, a little sausage, a little sprouts, one after another.
-Finally I add the sweet sauce, chilli sauce and wrap like you would with a spring roll.
-I omitted fresh minced garlic in MY popiah, coz that's the way I like it! :) It's pretty much do it your own.

Note: It's a great way for the health conscious coz it's pretty much raw or cooked veges. There are a few "meat" items in here but all in all, it's up to the individual to wrap their own. I wish I had taken pics of the steps in wrapping, unfortunately I couldn't do it coz I suck at wrapping and with all my focus on getting the wrap ready for the pic, I didn't have the time or the extra hands to take pics, throughly sorry. But hey...you learn by mistakes....:) Have FUN!