Spring Rolls

1. For the stir-fry sauce, whisk together soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, sherry or mirin, sugar, and white pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Toss the chicken strips in 1 tbsp. soy sauce. Set aside to marinate.
3. Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle in 2 tbsp. oil, then add garlic, galangal or ginger, green onion, and chili pepper. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
4. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add the carrot, mushrooms, and cabbage along with the stir-fry sauce. Stir-fry 2 more minutes, until the chicken is opaque when sliced through and the vegetables have softened but still retain most of their crispness.
6. Remove from heat and mix in the bean sprouts.
7. Test it for salt and flavor. Add 1 more tbsp. fish or soy sauce if it's not salty or flavorful enough. If it's too salty, add a squeeze of lime juice.
8. Place a spring roll wrapper on a clean working surface. Using a slotted spoon, place one heaping tablespoon of well-drained filling lengthwise across the bottom of the wrapper, leaving 1 inch bare on either side.
9. Sprinkle some of the fresh coriander over the filling, and you're ready to roll.
10. Fold the left and right ends over the filling on either side, then lift up the bottom (nearest you) and roll to the other end. Secure the roll by dipping your fingers in some water and wetting the end, "pasting" it shut.
11. Continue rolling until you're out of wrappers and filling.
12. In a wok or deep-sided frying pan, pour oil until it is 1 inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat.
13. When snake-like lines begin to form across the bottom of the pan, the oil should be nearly hot enough. To test it, dip one corner of a spring roll into the oil. If it begins to sizzle and cook, the oil is ready. If not, wait another 30 seconds to 1 minute and try again.
14. Gently place spring rolls in oil, allowing them to fry about 1 minute on each side. Spring rolls are done when they turn light to medium golden-brown. Use tongs to remove and set on paper towels or a clean tea towel to drain while you finish frying the rest.
15. Serve with Thai sweet chili sauce.

Substitutions and Variations
Rather than a chicken breast, substitute an equivalent amount of pork and slice it into thin strips. For a vegetarian spring roll, substitute 1 cup firm tofu, sliced into matchsticks.
Omit the chili pepper and skip the cayenne if you prefer a mild spring roll.

Trivia
1. Spring rolls are usually eaten during the Spring Festival in mainland China, hence the name.
2. In southern Taiwan, the ingredients are generally boiled or blanched in plain water. Sometimes caster or super fine sugar is added along with the peanut powder before all the ingredients are wrapped.