andrejthechef
SingaporeSandwichSnack

Popiah

A thin, soft wrapper rolled around braised jicama, bean sprouts, lettuce, sweet sauce and chili. Fresh, not fried.

prep
40 min
cook
30 min
total
1 h 10 min
serves
4
level
medium
Popiah, a Singapore hawker classic

Popiah is often confused with a fried spring roll, but it is the opposite: a thin, soft wheat-starch wrapper, rolled fresh around a warm jicama filling and never fried. The texture is meant to be soft all the way through.

Making the wrapper itself is a specialty skill, swiped onto a hot plate in one confident motion, and most people, including most home cooks in Singapore, just buy it ready-made. Spend your effort on the filling instead.

Part of our 20 best Singapore recipes list.

method

  1. Heat the oil in a wok, fry the garlic and dried shrimp for 1 minute, then add the jicama and soy sauce.

  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the jicama turns translucent and tender and most of the liquid has cooked away. Season with salt and let it cool slightly.

  3. Lay a popiah skin flat on a clean surface. Spread a thin layer of sweet sauce and a little chili sauce across the center.

  4. Add a lettuce leaf, then a spoonful of the jicama filling, a few bean sprouts, a little egg and a sprinkle of crushed peanuts, in a line across the lower third of the skin.

  5. Fold the bottom edge up over the filling, fold in both sides, then roll it up tightly into a log, the same way you would roll a burrito.

  6. Cut each roll in half on the diagonal and serve right away, while the skin is still soft and the filling is warm.

chef's tips

  • The jicama filling needs real cooking time, 15 to 20 minutes, until it loses its raw crunch. Undercooked filling makes a watery, crunchy roll instead of a soft, cohesive one.
  • Popiah skins are a specialty item, swiped onto a hot plate in one motion by someone with real practice. Buying them ready-made, fresh or frozen, is completely normal, even in Singapore.
  • Do not overfill the roll. A thin, even line of filling rolls up tight; a heaping pile just tears the skin.
  • This is eaten fresh and soft, never fried. If you want a crisp fried version, that is a different dish, sometimes called popiah goreng.