How To Make Harumaki (Japanese Spring Rolls) At Home-Japanese Taste

How To Make Harumaki (Japanese Spring Rolls) At Home

by Ayumi Matsuo

Appetizer Party Food Freezer-friendly

Harumaki is similar to a Chinese egg roll. It is a crispy Japanese spring roll filled with delicious ingredients such as pork, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and vermicelli noodles. The outside is crunchy and crispy, while the inside contains perfectly seasoned ingredients. Harumaki is eaten with soy sauce and spicy mustard.

Harumaki is commonly eaten during the spring. In fact, the meaning of harumaki can be translated into “Haru = Spring” and “Maki = Wrapping”. It is a food that contains bamboo shoots, which is a typical spring vegetable. While harumaki has been a staple in Japanese cuisine for a long time, it is not known when it was introduced to Japan. However, harumaki does have Chinese roots and is believed to have been introduced around the 19th century. During this time, travel between Japan and China became more common, so there was a lot of cultural influence and exchanges between the two countries.

Harumaki is greatly loved by the Japanese and is a staple dish at many Chinese restaurants in Japan along with gyoza (dumplings) and shumai. Harumaki can also be found in the prepared food sections or frozen food sections at supermarkets.

Of course, harumaki can be made at home too! The recipe and ingredients used vary depending on the family, as well as the shape. The most commonly found shape for harumaki is similar to that of a Chinese egg roll, but some families may add more or less filling to make the harumaki thicker or thinner.

Since harumaki is deep-fried, it tastes best when eaten right after it has been made. If you have any leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat them, first microwave them for about 1 minute, then toast them in a toaster oven for 2-3 minutes to make them a little crispier.

Today we'll be showing you a traditional harumaki recipe using pork. We hope you’ll like our recipe and try it out for yourself at home. Let us know in the comments how it turns out!

Overview

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Total servings: 10

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients
  • 150g Sliced Pork
  • 50g Carrot
  • 100g Boiled Bamboo Shoots
  • 40g Nira (Chinese Chives)
  • 4 Shiitake Mushrooms
  • 40g Harusame (Dry Glass Noodles)
  • 100ml Water
  • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp Sake
  • 2 Tbsp Mirin
  • 1 Tbsp Sugar
  • 2 tsp Chicken Broth
  • 2 tsp Oyster Sauce
  • 1 tsp Grated Ginger
  • 2 Tbsp Water (for the filling)
  • 1 Tbsp Potato Starch (for the filling)
  • 1 Tbsp Water (for sealing the wrappers)
  • 1 Tbsp Potato Starch (for sealing the wrappers)
  • 10 Eggroll (Harumaki) Wrappers
  • Oil, for deep frying

Expert's Tip

How To Make Harumaki (Japanese Spring Rolls) At Home

Harusame are clear glass noodles made of starch. They are sold dry, but when boiled, they become soft yet chewy noodles. This product is made from Japanese potatoes in Kyushu and Hokkaido. Harusame is often used in hot pots and stir-fries because it easily soaks up the flavor. Of course, harusame noodles taste delicious in harumaki as well.

Instructions

1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather all the ingredients together.

2) Preparing the Meat and Vegetables

Wash the vegetables, remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and nira. Cut the vegetables and pork into small pieces, about 3-4cm thin strips.

3) Stir-frying the Meat and Vegetables

Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat, then add the grated ginger and pork, and stir-fry together. Once the pork is no longer pink, add all of the vegetables. Mix and fry them for around 2-3 minutes, add the seasonings, and then stir-fry everything together for another 2-3 minutes.

4) Adding in the Glass Noodles

When the vegetables begin to wilt, create a well in the center of the pan, and add the dried harusame noodlesand 100ml of water. 

5) Adding the Slurry to the Harumaki Filling

Reduce the heat to low, then mix water and potato starch together to create a slurry. Add it to the pan, and wait until the harumaki mixture becomes a bit sticky. Once it has become sticky, turn off the heat and let the mixture completely cool.

6) Preparing the Harumaki Wrappers

Prepare the harumaki wrappers. Note that they can tear easily. 

Note: We recommend separating them into layers of 2-3 sheets first, and then tearing them into individual layers.

7) Folding the Harumaki

Now, it’s time to make harumaki! Divide the filling into 10 equal portions, and add one portion into each wrapper. Each wrapper should be turned vertically, in a diamond shape.

Place the harumaki filling towards one edge of the wrapper, and then fold that edge over the filling.

Make one turn from the bottom to the top. Fold the left side and then the right side, pressing the filling towards the center of the wrapper. Continue rolling the harumaki until you achieve an eggroll shape.

Seal the edge of the harumaki with a mixture of potato starch and water.

Note: Achieving the perfect shape may take a bit of practice, but the more you fold the harumaki, the better you will get!

8) Frying the Harumaki

Fry the harumaki in a pot or pan in oil at a temperature of 170℃ or about 340°F for about 5-8 minutes until the wrappers turn golden brown. Then they are ready to eat! Serve them with soy sauce and karashi spicy mustard and enjoy.

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