Singapore Popiah Recipe features shrimp, vegetables, eggs, and crushed peanuts. Shrimp, jicama, carrots, cucumber, and radish are lightly spiced with chili paste and white pepper, then gently tossed to preserve freshness and crunch. This vibrant medley is topped with mashed boiled egg and layered with fresh bean sprouts, adding richness and texture. A generous sprinkling of roasted, crushed peanuts adds a nutty depth to the savory filling. Everything is delicately encased in homemade paper-thin skin or wrappers, brushed with a luscious balance of sweet and savory hoisin sauce and tangy plum sauce. Celebrated by the locals for its delightful contrasts- soft yet crispy, sweet yet savory, and refreshing yet indulgent, this iconic dish remains one of Singapore’s all-time favorites!
As a street food, Singapore popiah is typically cooked and assembled at the last minute to preserve the ingredients’ flavor. When I first tried the Singapore Popiah on Orchard Road several years ago, on my husband’s insistence, I absolutely loved it.
Origin:
Spring rolls are a perennial favorite in Southeast Asia and have become popular worldwide. It is generally acknowledged that spring rolls came from China. It is likely that the addition of fresh vegetables wrapped in a thin crepe signaled the beginning of spring and was a part of the Spring Festival.
According to tradition, the Spring Roll originated in the Tang Dynasty and spread through Southeast Asia. Whether it is the lumpia common to Indonesia and the Philippines, or the ‘popiah’ prevalent in Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore, the essential features are the same. It is essentially a super-fine crepe made from rice or wheat, filled with various freshly julienned vegetables and finely diced meat or shrimp.
Singapore Popiah “skin”:
I thought making the skin for Singapore popiah would be a piece of cake. After all, it tastes good and seems to be wrapped like a spring roll. But when I first tried making it with a batter of plain flour and water like crepes, the comment that I received was that the filling was great, but not the popiah “skin”. The popiah skin was apparently the tricky part.
The popiah skin had to be translucent, thin as paper, and yet not sticky. I am familiar with a variety of French crêpes I make for my family for breakfast, but I was not sure how to make this one to meet the checklist above. However, my first attempt, many years ago, using all-purpose flour was only partially successful because it was not translucent. After a few trials, I believe this Singapore Popiah recipe will earn you praise at your next event.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1.How do you make the skin using this Singapore Popiah Recipe?
I added enough water to make a thin, runny batter of plain flour. Instead of using a ladle, I used a brush and ‘painted’ the batter onto a griddle per my husband’s suggestion based on how he has seen it done in Singapore. The result was thin, translucent, malleable wrappers that were not sticky.
2. What is jicama?
Jicama (pronounced he-ka-ma) is an edible root that originated in Mexico and spread across Asia through the Columbian Exchange. In India, it is called ‘shankalu’ or ‘kesaru’, depending on the region, and is sometimes mistaken for daikon. To some degree, daikon and jicama can be used interchangeably because their textures are similar, though jicama is sweeter. In this Singapore Popiah recipe, I have used both jicama and radish.
3. What is the difference between spring rolls and popiah?
Both spring rolls and Singapore Popiah Recipe call for a savory filling encased in a thin, crepe-like wrapper. Deep-fried rolls are spring rolls, while popiah is served as is after rolling.
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Ingredients:
For the filling:
- Vegetables: jicama, carrots, cucumber, radish, bean sprouts
- Herbs: chives, scallions
- Spices: chili paste, white pepper
- Sauces: soy sauce, oyster sauce
- Shrimp
- Peanuts
- Boiled egg
For the popiah skin (wrapper):
- All-purpose flour
- Plum and hoisin sauces (or chili sauce)
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this dish. For the measurements, please refer to the recipe card below.
How to make the Singapore Popiah with my recipe:
- How to make the popiah “skin”:
- Mix the flour, salt, and water, and whisk using an electric whisk or blender for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.
- Turn on a non-stick griddle. Using a pastry brush, brush the griddle in a crisscross pattern to ensure there are no holes in the skin, and cook on low heat. The skin or wrapper will get cooked in less than 2 minutes. Remove the wrapper by lifting the edges with a nonstick spatula or your fingers.
2. How to make the filling:
- Heat oil in a pan, add the chili garlic sauce, and sauté the diced shrimp for 2-3 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add the shredded jicama, radish, and carrots, and stir-fry until the moisture evaporates. Turn off the heat. Add the beansprouts, cucumber, and green onions with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and salt and pepper. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts.
3. How to assemble the Singapore Popiah:
- Take a wrapper and place it on a board. Spread the plum and hoisin sauces. Spoon the filling into the center. Put some mashed boiled eggs on top.
2. Fold the two edges over the filling on either side. Then, take the end flap and place it over the filling. Then, roll from one end to the other.
3. Ensure that the Popiah filling is tucked into the skin while rolling.
4. Cut the Popiah into 1.5” (length) pieces using a sharp knife.
Tips:
- Cook the Singapore Popiah skin or wrappers over low heat to prevent them from burning or becoming too crispy.
- The batter for the skin must be runny. If it is too thick, add some cool water to dilute it.
- The filling must be moist but not wet, as it will make the Singapore Popiah soggy.
- Ensure the filling is tucked into the wrapper as you fold.
- Add bean sprouts after cooking the shrimp and turning off the heat to keep them crunchy.
Serving suggestion:
Serve the Singapore Popiah with chili sauce on the side. Refrigeration makes the popiah elastic and tough. So steam it gently in a steamer for a minute to reheat it.
Storage:
The wrappers must be stored in a box covered with a moist cloth if used the same day. You can store the wrappers in an airtight box for a week. Place a sheet of wax paper between each wrapper to prevent sticking. The filling must be consumed the same day.
Other appetizers that you might like:
Singapore Popiah Recipe
Equipment
- Stovetop
- Electric whisk
- Wok
Ingredients
For the skin
- 3.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 200 ml water
- ¼ tsp salt
For the filling
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 3 clove garlic minced
- ½ cup shrimp diced
- ¼ cup jicama shredded
- ¼ cup baby carrots shredded
- ½ cup beansprouts
- ¼ cup cucumber grated
- 4 scallions sliced thin
- ¼ cup radish grated
- ½ tsp chili paste
- ½ tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt to taste
- ½ tsp white pepper powdered
- 2 tbsp crushed peanuts
- 2 eggs boiled, mashed
For assembly:
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp plum sauce
Instructions
How to make the filling:
- Prepare the ingredients.
- Heat oil in a pan, add the chili garlic sauce, and sauté the diced shrimp for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Add the shredded jicama, radish, and carrots, and stir-fry until the moisture evaporates. Turn off the heat. Add the beansprouts, cucumber, and green onions with the oyster sauce, soy sauce, and salt and pepper. Sprinkle the crushed peanuts.
How to make the popiah skin (wrapper):
- Measure the ingredients.
- Mix the flour, salt, and water, and whisk using an electric whisk or blender for 10 minutes. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps.
- Turn on a non-stick griddle. Using a pastry brush, brush the griddle in a crisscross pattern to ensure there are no holes in the skin, and cook on low heat. The skin or wrapper will get cooked in less than 2 minutes. Remove the wrapper by lifting the edges with a nonstick spatula or your fingers.
How to assemble the Singapore Popiah:
- Take a wrapper and place it on a board. Spread the plum and hoisin sauces. Spoon the filling into the center. Put some mashed boiled eggs on top.
- Fold the two edges over the filling on either side.
- Then, take the end flap and place it over the filling. Then, roll from one end to the other.
- Ensure that the popiah filling is tucked in the skin.
- Cut the popiah into 1.5” (length) pieces using a sharp knife.
- Serve the popiah with some chili sauce on the side.
Notes
- Cook the Singapore Popiah skin or wrappers over low heat to prevent them from burning or becoming too crispy.
- The batter for the skin must be runny. If it is too thick, add some cool water to dilute it.
- The filling must be moist but not wet, as it will make the popiah soggy.
- Please ensure that the filling is tucked into the wrapper while folding.
- Add bean sprouts after cooking the shrimp and turning off the heat to keep them crunchy.
Nutrition
Excellent, simply yummy!
Thanks!
thanks for showing how to make the skin!
one of my favorite recipes! this one is so easy to follow!
A good, traditional popiah recipe is hard to find. Thank you, Kanchan!
– Shen