Name: Crispy Beggar’s Purses
Yield: Serves 6-8
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 25 g (1 oz) cloud ear fungus or Chinese black mushrooms; 100 g (4 oz) beanthread (transparent) noodles; 8 spring onions, green parts only, blanched or microwaved on full power for 15 seconds; 600 ml (1 pint) groundnut or vegetable oil for deep-frying; 3 tablespoons finely chopped garlic; 3 tablespoons tomato puree or tomato ketchup; 150 ml (5 fl oz) water; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 packet spring roll skins, preferably the Shanghai-type; 4 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry; 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander; 3 tablespoons Chinese white rice vinegar or cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon cornflour mixed with 2 teaspoons water; ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper; 1 egg white, lightly beaten; 2 teaspoons chilli flakes or powder; 350 g (12 oz) raw prawns, peeled and coarsely minced; 2 teaspoons sesame oil; 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 tablespoons sugar; 100 g (4 oz) minced pork; 2 teaspoons salt

Preparation info

Serves
6-8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Ken Hom's Hot Wok

By Ken Hom

Published 1996

About

The sweet and sour sauce can he made a day in advance, chilled and brought to room temperature before serving. Wrappers are now widely available, making this treat even easier to prepare. There are two types of wrappers. The Cantonese-style uses a smooth noodle-type dough and results in a heavier wrapper, while the Shanghai-style, which I prefer, is more like rice paper, translucent and lighter.