Choose the betel leaves
For betel leaf rolls, you should choose the fresh and tender leaves. Select the big and clean leaves for wrapping. The torn and unripe leaves can be finely chopped and mixed with the filling to enhance the aroma of the rolls.
Mix the filling
You can customize the filling to your family’s taste. The common filling consists of minced pork, betel leaf stalks, finely chopped shallots, and finely chopped betel leaves. Some people like to add eggs or raw sausage to make the filling stick together. The meat used for the filling should have a combination of lean meat and fat to prevent the rolls from becoming dry when fried.
Alternatively, if you follow a vegetarian diet, you can use crushed tofu mixed with mushrooms and wood ear fungus as a replacement for minced meat.
Marinate the filling with a small amount of salt, fish sauce, and pepper according to your preference.
Roll the betel leaf rolls: Should the stem side or the smooth side be on the outside?
To achieve beautiful green color and prevent the leaves from tearing while wrapping, blanch the betel leaves in boiling water for a few seconds, then immediately soak them in ice water. When wrapping the rolls, remove the leaves from the water and pat them dry.
When rolling the rolls, it is recommended to place the stem side of the leaf facing up and place the filling on top. Rolling with the smooth side facing out will result in a more aesthetically pleasing roll.
To ensure uniform and visually appealing rolls, choose leaves of similar size for wrapping. Fold the sides of the leaves together and scoop a spoonful of filling onto the leaf, then roll it into a tight cylinder.
You can use skewers or small toothpicks to secure the betel leaf rolls and prevent the leaves from opening while frying.
Fry the betel leaf rolls
When frying, use a sufficient amount of cooking oil to cover the surface of the pan. For betel leaf rolls, you don’t need to use too much oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the rolls to the pan. Initially, set the heat to high to shape the rolls. Once the bottom of the rolls is firm, reduce the heat to cook the filling and avoid burning the leaves while the filling is not fully cooked.
If you prefer not to use too much oil for frying, you can use an air fryer. Before placing the rolls in the air fryer, lightly brush each roll with a thin layer of oil to prevent them from drying out.
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