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Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls (Fish Rolls)

Chinese Rolls are a staple snack and street food in Sri Lanka. They are a perfect snack for any time of the day as a tea-time snack, a party food, or a picnic snack.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Light Meal, Party Dish, Side Dish, Snack, Street Food
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Keyword: Sri Lankan Chinese Rolls, Sri Lankan Fish Rolls, Sri Lankan Spring Rolls
Servings: 6
Author: kanthi

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

  1. When making the filling, make sure everything is finely chopped except the pandan leaf.
  2. Remove the pandan leaves after making the filling.
  3. For making the pancake batter, you can also use water instead of milk.
  4. For coating the rolls, you can also use a light flour/water batter (thinner than the pancake mix) instead of eggs.
  5. For coating, you can use either fresh or dried breadcrumbs. Fresh breadcrumbs will give the rolls a crispier texture.