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Spinach and Tofu Egg Rolls

A fried roll filled with spinach, tofu, rice, carrot, and seasonings.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 14 ingredients
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Why it works: Sesame and tofu match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 250 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Spinach and Tofu Egg Rolls

Time3 to 4 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the filling

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet.

  2. Saute onions, garlic, and ginger for 3 minutes.

  3. Add tofu; stir-fry 3 to 5 minutes on medium-high heat.

  4. Add rice, spinach, and carrot; cook until heated through.

  5. Add sherry, soy sauce, and salt; continue to stir-fry 5 minutes or until all liquid evaporates.

  6. Remove from heat.

Roll the egg rolls

  1. Place egg roll skin diagonally on a dry work surface.

  2. Spoon 1/3 cup spinach/rice mixture slightly below center toward bottom corner.

  3. Fold up lower corner to cover filling and firmly roll up filling toward center.

  4. Fold over right and left corner, roll over and brush with cold water to seal.

Fry and serve

  1. Heat oil in a deep fat fryer to 375°F.

  2. Carefully drop in egg rolls.

  3. Fry until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.

  4. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towel.

  5. Serve with hot mustard and sweet and sour sauce.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

718Calories
23 gProtein
38 gFat
68 gCarbs

Counts 14 of 15 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 14 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Sesame1 tbsp (14g)120
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Egg Roll1 large egg (50g)78
Tofu100g firm76
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Carrot1 medium (61g)25
Wine2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)25
Soy Sauce1 tbsp (15ml)9
Spinach1 cup raw (30g)7
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Mustard1 tsp (5g) yellow3
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Saucenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Sesame + tofutop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together250 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  2. Clove + gingertop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together6,038 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  3. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  4. Sesame + spinachtop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together203 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (clove, smoky).

  5. Garlic + spinachtop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,435 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Firm tofu
Adds protein-rich body and absorbs flavor, giving the filling a firm, chewy texture.
Cooked rice
Bulks out the filling and soaks up the seasoning while giving it a soft texture.
Frozen spinach
Provides moisture and a leafy, earthy flavor to the filling.
Soy sauce
Adds salty, savory flavor and color to the filling.
Sesame oil
Gives a nutty aroma to the filling and helps the vegetables cook in the skillet.
Egg roll skins
Form a crisp, golden wrapper that browns when fried.

The step that matters

Cook the filling until all liquid evaporates. Excess moisture left in the filling turns the wrapper soggy and can cause it to burst or steam inside during frying, so the filling should be dry before rolling.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sesame, onion, garlic, ginger, tofu, rice, spinach):

  1. Turmericfits better
  2. Cuminfits better
  3. Corianderfits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against sesame, onion, garlic, ginger, tofu, rice, spinach. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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