Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls (Fish Rolls)!! Are you looking for a delicious snack to wow your guests at your next home party or social gathering? Try these Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls!! I am sure you and your guests will love it.
Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls (Fish Rolls)
Chinese Rolls are a popular savory snack (short-eats) and street food in Sri Lanka, a staple at bakeries and street food stalls across the country.
Thin pancakes are filled with spicy and flavourful canned fish and potato filling, dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs, and then fried until golden and crispy. So, they come with a crispy-crunchy crust on the outside with a soft flavorful inside.
They are a perfect snack for any time of the day or as an appetizer, party food, finger food, tea-time snack, or picnic snack. Goes well with sweet & hot chili sauce, or ketchup.
In this post, I’ll show you how to make Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls at home easily from scratch. Here is an easy-to-follow step-by-step recipe with helpful info and tips. I hope you will try the recipe and enjoy it as much as I do!!
They are easy to make and freeze well for later use! Whether you prefer fish, meat, vegetables, or seafood, there’s an option for you. Just experiment with different fillings and spices to find your perfect recipe.
Are you looking for more Sri Lankan recipes?
Take a quick look at the recipe collection HERE
What are Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls?
Spring Rolls are believed to have originated in China and you’ll find Spring Rolls-like foods in various cuisines worldwide. As with every other culture, Sri Lankans have adapted it to their taste with the ingredients available.
These Sri Lankan-style spring rolls, a fusion of Chinese and Sri Lankan cuisine, are locally known as ‘Chinese Rolls’ ‘Fish Rolls’ or just ‘Rolls’. These rolls do have a similar appearance to Chinese spring rolls, so they are probably called “Chinese Rolls”.
About Sri Lankan Short Eats!!
Savory and spicy baked or deep-fried, bite-sized snacks are known as ‘short eats’ in Sri Lanka, a kind of fusion food due to the influence of the various other nations such as Arab, Indian, Chinese, and European that have left their mark on Sri Lankan cuisine.
They are incredibly versatile. No matter where you travel in Sri Lanka, you will find bakeries, restaurants, stalls, and street carts that sell a dozen varieties of short eats such as patties, rolls, vade, stuffed buns, and pastries. They are very popular as a tea-time snack, party food, road trip snacks, on-the-go breakfast food, or light meal.
How Do You Make Chinese Rolls?
The thin pancakes are filled with spicy and flavourful canned fish and potato filling, dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs, and then deep-fried until golden and crispy.
Steps to Make Fish Patties
- Make the filling
- Make pancake batter
- Make thin pancakes
- Assemble the rolls
- Deep-frying
1. Make the Filling
You can make the filling in advance and keep it in the fridge until use for a few days. The filling is commonly made with canned mackerel and potatoes. You can use canned tuna or any other fish you choose or boiled fish instead of canned fish. Adding vegetables such as carrots, peas, or beans to the filling will make it more nutritious. If you’re not a fan of fish, you can substitute it with your choice of ground meat for the filling.
2. Make Pancake Batter
The wraps are made from a pancake-like batter. You can make the batter by hand or in a blender and then keep it in the fridge to rest for a few hours or overnight and then make the pancakes just before assembling.
3. Assembling the Rolls
When assembling the rolls, take each pancake and place a spoonful of the filling in the center. Roll the pancake tightly around the filling, tucking in the sides as you go. To crumb the rolls, you will need breadcrumbs and eggs. Dip each roll in lightly beaten eggs and then coat it with breadcrumbs. You can use either fresh or dried breadcrumbs. Fresh breadcrumbs will give the rolls a crispier texture.
4. Deep-Frying
Carefully place the rolls in the hot oil and deep fry them in batches until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. For the quantities of each ingredient, check out the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For the Filling
- Fish: The fish filling is typically made with canned mackerel or tuna. You can also use fresh fish or frozen fish fillets such as tuna or bonito. If you use fresh fish, make sure to boil and remove the bones first and then mash.
- Vegetables – I used boiled potatoes. You can also use other veggies like finely chopped leeks, carrots, cabbage, and boiled peas.
- Fresh Ingredients – Adding finely chopped onions, green chilies, ginger, and garlic is essential. In Sri Lanka, curry leaves and pandan leaves are commonly used for fragrance and flavor. If you cannot find them, just skip them.
- Seasoning – Chili powder, turmeric powder, ground black pepper, and salt are used.
- Other Ingredients – Lime juice is commonly used, you can use lemon juice instead.
For the Pancakes
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour or plain flour
- Salt: Add salt to taste
- Turmeric: For coloring
- Eggs:
- Full-fat Milk: Can be substituted with water.
For Coating and Deep Frying
- Eggs
- Breadcrumbs: You can use either fresh or dried breadcrumbs. Fresh breadcrumbs will give the rolls a crispier texture.
- Oil
Vegetarian and Vegan Options
If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, you can still enjoy Sri Lankan Chinese rolls. Instead of using meat, you can use a variety of vegetables such as carrots, green beans, and cabbage. For making the pancakes, omit the egg in the batter and use water instead of regular milk. For coating the rolls, use a light flour/water batter (thinner than the pancake mix) instead of eggs.
Make Ahead Options
- Make the batter ahead of time and then keep it in the fridge to rest for a few hours or overnight and then make the pancakes just before assembling.
- Make the pancakes ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for about 2 days.
- Make the filling ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for about 3 days.
Tips For Making the Best Chinese Rolls
Making the Filling
- Drain the fish completely if you use canned fish and then mash (I don’t remove the bones when I use canned fish). if you use fresh fish, make sure it doesn’t have any bones.
- Do not boil potatoes until mushy. After draining the water, let the potatoes in the colander to get dry evaporating the extra moisture.
- When massing the potatoes, it is okay to have small unmashed potatoes, but make sure not to leave too many.
- Make sure to finely chop the ingredients you use.
- The final mixture should be on the dry side without being too moist, so make sure to stir-fry the mixture to get dry evaporating the extra moisture, but be careful not to get too dry mixture.
- Once ready, keep on a side and cool down before using
Shaping and Coating
- For uniform cooking times, make the rolls more or less the same size.
- Make sure that the rolls are properly coated.
- Coat them with fine breadcrumbs twice or more until well coated with the crumbs.
- Make sure to rest the rolls in the fridge before frying at least for 1 hour.
Frying
- Use enough oil to cover the rolls.
- The oil must be sufficiently hot. Check the oil temperature by dropping some breadcrumbs into it. If that floats to the top and turns golden almost immediately then it’s ready.
- If the oil is not sufficiently heated, the rolls take a long time to fry, and they will absorb too much oil and will end up being soggy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan with the rolls and fry them in batches.
- Control the heat and oil temperature throughout the deep frying process.
Serving Suggestions
Chinese rolls are a perfect snack but you can also serve them with a side of roti or a piece of bread to make a satisfying light meal or breakfast. You can serve them just plain or with a dipping sauce. In Sri Lanka, it is common to serve them with chili sauce. Sweet chili sauce is always my go-to sauce but ketchup and mayonnaise also work.
Storing Suggestions
If you have leftover rolls, you can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Fried rolls as well as shaped rolls freeze well. So, you can make up a big batch of rolls ahead of time and freeze them for later use.
To Freeze (Unfried): You can shape and then freeze them to fry at a later time for about 3 months. Place them on a baking tray in a single layer and wrap them with plastic wrap. Freeze until frozen completely. Once frozen, stack them in a Ziplock bag with wax paper in between each one and store them in the freezer. That way, you can take out as many as you need without them sticking together.
Reheat: When you are ready to eat them, simply defrost them in the fridge overnight and then deep-fry them until they are crispy and golden brown just before you want to serve them.
To Freeze (Fried): You can make a big batch ahead of time and freeze them after frying for about one month or so. Follow the instructions given above.
Reheat: Thaw completely in the fridge before reheating. Briefly re-fry them or bake them in a preheated oven for a short period until warmed through and crisp again on the outside. You can also reheat them in the microwave.
More Sri Lankan Snacks to Try
Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls (Fish Rolls)
Step-by-Step Recipe
(Check out the printable recipe card at the end of the post)
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Servings: 5 to 8
Ingredients
For the Filling
400g potatoes, boiled and mashed
400g canned fish, mashed
2 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 green chili, finely chopped, optional
1 tbsp curry leaves, finely chopped, optional
2-inch pandan leave, optional
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
For the Pancakes
125 g all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 large egg, at room temperature
280 ml warm milk
Oil for greasing
For Coating and Deep-Frying
2 eggs, lightly whisked
Bread crumbs, as needed
Oil for deep-frying, as needed
NOTES
- When making the filling, make sure everything is finely chopped except the pandan leaf.
- Remove the pandan leaves after making the filling.
- For making the pancake batter, you can also use water instead of milk.
- For coating the rolls, you can also use a light flour/water batter (thinner than the pancake mix) instead of eggs.
- For coating, you can use either fresh or dried breadcrumbs. Fresh breadcrumbs will give the rolls a crispier texture.
Instructions
Making the Filling
Boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Drain and allow to slightly cool and dry out. Do not boil potatoes until they become mushy.
Mash roughly with a fork leaving some small chunks of potato for overall texture. Keep it aside.
Discard the brine from the can, and transfer the mackerel to a bowl. When using fresh fish, boil and remove the bones before mashing them.
Mash the fish and keep it ready.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, onion, fresh chili, curry, and pandan leaves, and saute until the raw smell disappears and becomes fragrant.
Then add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and black pepper and saute for a few seconds. Add the fish and stir-fry until the excess moisture has evaporated.
Add potatoes. Mix and continue frying for another minute. Taste, and adjust salt and cracked pepper as needed. Stir in the lemon juice, then remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool.
The filling is ready. Let it cool. Remove the pandan leaf if used.
Make the Pancakes
Whisk the flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and drop in the egg. Whisk the egg slightly while gradually adding the flour surrounding it.
Stir in milk, a little at a time, whisking the flour surrounding it into the liquid mixture until you have a thick paste.
Making a thick paste first helps to make the batter without lumps.
Gradually add the remaining milk, a little at a time, while whisking vigorously and continuously to thin the paste until you have a smooth lump-free batter. Strain the batter if there are any lumps. You can use the batter immediately or rest it for about 30 minutes.
Heat a pan (20cm) over medium-low heat. Grease it with some oil lightly if needed. Stir and pour a ladleful of batter into the pan. Tilt to spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Lower the heat and cook the pancake for about 30 seconds or until the top appears dry. I usually don’t brown on the bottom and flip the pancake. However, it is up to you.
Loosen the edges with a thin spatula and carefully remove to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining batter adjusting the heat as needed. Stack the pancakes as you make them and cover them with a clean towel to keep them warm while you make the rest.
3. Assemble the Rolls
Now it’s time to assemble the rolls. Take each pancake and place a spoonful of the filling in the center.
Roll the pancake tightly around the filling, tucking in the sides as you go.
The rolls are ready for the next step.
To coat the rolls, you will need slightly beaten eggs and breadcrumbs. Dip each roll in the beaten egg.
Then coat the roll with breadcrumbs.
Now you are ready to deep-fry the rolls.
4. Deep-Frying
Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan. Carefully place the rolls in the hot oil and fry them in batches until both sides are golden brown.
Remove from the oil.
Place them on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil.
That’s it! Your Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls are now ready to serve. Enjoy them hot with your favorite dipping sauce.
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Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls (Fish Rolls)
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 400 g potatoes boiled and mashed
- 400 g canned fish mashed
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1/2 tbsp ginger finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 green chili finely chopped, optional
- 1 tbsp curry leaves finely chopped, optional
- 2- inch pandan leave optional
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For the Pancakes
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 280 ml warm milk
- Oil for greasing
For Coating and Deep-Frying
- 2 eggs lightly whisked
- Bread crumbs as needed
- Oil for deep-frying as needed
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Boil the potatoes until fork-tender. Drain and allow to slightly cool and dry out. Do not boil potatoes until they become mushy.
- Mash roughly with a fork leaving some small chunks of potato for overall texture. Keep it aside.
- Discard the brine from the can, and transfer the mackerel to a bowl. When using fresh fish, boil and remove the bones before mashing them. Mash the fish and keep it ready.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, onion, fresh chili, curry, and pandan leaves, and saute until the raw smell disappears and becomes fragrant.
- Then add salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and black pepper and saute for a few seconds. Add the fish and stir-fry until the excess moisture has evaporated.
- Add potatoes. Mix and continue frying for another minute. Taste, and adjust salt and cracked pepper as needed. Stir in the lemon juice, then remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool.
Make the Pancakes
- Whisk the flour, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and drop in the egg. Whisk the egg slightly while gradually adding the flour surrounding it.
- Stir in milk, a little at a time, whisking the flour surrounding it into the liquid mixture until you have a thick paste. Making a thick paste first helps to make the batter without lumps.
- Gradually add the remaining milk, a little at a time, while whisking vigorously and continuously to thin the paste until you have a smooth lump-free batter. Strain the batter if there are any lumps. You can use the batter immediately or rest it for about 30 minutes.
- Heat a pan (20cm) over medium-low heat. Grease it with some oil lightly if needed. Stir and pour a ladleful of batter into the pan. Tilt to spread the batter to the edges of the pan. Lower the heat and cook the pancake for about 30 seconds or until the top appears dry. I usually don’t brown on the bottom and flip the pancake. However, it is up to you.
- Loosen the edges with a thin spatula and carefully remove to a serving plate. Repeat with the remaining batter adjusting the heat as needed. Stack the pancakes as you make them and cover them with a clean towel to keep them warm while you make the rest.
Assemble and Deep-Fry
- Now it’s time to assemble the rolls. Take each pancake and place a spoonful of the filling in the center. Roll the pancake tightly around the filling, tucking in the sides as you go.
- To coat the rolls, you will need slightly beaten eggs and breadcrumbs. Dip each roll in the beaten egg. Then coat the roll with breadcrumbs.
- Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan. Carefully place the rolls in the hot oil and fry them in batches until both sides are golden brown. Remove from the oil.
- Place them on a paper towel to drain off any excess oil.
Notes
- When making the filling, make sure everything is finely chopped except the pandan leaf.
- Remove the pandan leaves after making the filling.
- For making the pancake batter, you can also use water instead of milk.
- For coating the rolls, you can also use a light flour/water batter (thinner than the pancake mix) instead of eggs.
- For coating, you can use either fresh or dried breadcrumbs. Fresh breadcrumbs will give the rolls a crispier texture.
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