--- title: "Lockdown Recipe of the Day: Curried chicken spring rolls" description: "Here’s a pleasing chicken curry filling and a how-to on assembling spring rolls." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "TGIFOOD" author: "Tony Jackman" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/tonyjackman/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-11-13-lockdown-recipe-of-the-day-curried-chicken-spring-rolls/" published: "2020-11-13T13:44:25" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 510 --- # Lockdown Recipe of the Day: Curried chicken spring rolls > Here’s a pleasing chicken curry filling and a how-to on assembling spring rolls. By Tony Jackman · Published 13 November 2020, 15:44 SAST ## Content **Ingredients** 300 g lean chicken breast meat, chopped very finely (or minced) 2 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter) 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced 60 ml tomato paste 4 Tbsp peach chutney 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp hot masala Salt to taste Handful of coriander leaves, chopped 1 packet frozen spring roll pastry sheets, thawed 2 Tbsp flour 3 or 4 Tbsp cold water Plenty of cooking oil **Method** Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in ghee till golden. Add tomato paste and braise for 3 minutes. Add the turmeric and curry powder (masala) and braise, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and make sure it is all well coated with the spiced onion mix. Add the chutney, salt to taste, and simmer over a very low heat for 30 minutes, very gently, stirring often. If the mixture is to dry, add a little water, but simmer it away again. Stir in chopped coriander at the end. **The spring rolls:** Unwrap the pastry and place on a clean surface near where you are to assemble the spring rolls. Place a clean, damp towel over the pastry. Have the curry filling to hand and a tablespoon. In a small bowl, mix the flour with cold water and stir until it is a smooth, slightly runny paste. It should not be too thick. This is your “glue”. You also need a pastry brush. Peel off the top pastry sheet and place on a lean board in front of you. Brush a little of this along the left and right edges of the sheet, and along the top edge furthest away from you. Place a spoonful or two of the filling near the edge nearest you. ![Brush three edges of the sheet with flour-water "glue" and spoon some filling near the edge nearest you.](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/CK7oE6ks4TOe4r0YqFPAsOVRy5A=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/filling.jpg) *Brush three edges of the sheet with flour-water "glue" and spoon some filling near the edge nearest you.* Fold both sides in towards the middle. ![Fold towards the middle.](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/ls9E2ILKbpc9om2FkMgm8gYbUeg=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/fold.jpg) *Fold towards the middle.* Then roll up from the edge nearest you towards the top, stopping just short. ![Roll up.](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/bpXQ07BLGUiBFVWBdH09YLSizXk=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/rolling.jpg) *Roll up.* Paste a little more “glue” along the top edge and complete the last roll. Press down and put aside. !['Glue' the top edge and complete the rolling up. Then press down.](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/YprtqbIUqucqm0MC6KrQ4z_d1sA=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/paste.jpg) *'Glue' the top edge and complete the rolling up. Then press down.* Heat oil in a deep pot until it’s about 160℃. Dip the edge of a spring roll in the oil to test. The bubbles should shoot lightly away from it, not too vigorously. Adjust heat if necessary. Fry 2 or 3 spring rolls at a time depending on the width of your pot, until they are pale golden, not too dark. Remove to kitchen paper in a bowl to drain. Serve hot with chutney. **DM168/TGIFood***Our Thank God It’s Food newsletter is sent to subscribers every Friday at 6pm, and published on the*[*TGIFood platform*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/section/tgifood/)*on Daily Maverick. It’s all about great reads on the themes of food and life. Subscribe*[*here*](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/about/newsletter/)*.* *Send your Lockdown Recipes to tony@dailymaverick.co.za with a hi-resolution horizontal (landscape) photo.* *Thank God It’s Food is sponsored by*[*Pick n Pay*](https://www.pnp.co.za/pnpstorefront/pnp/en/freshliving)*.*