Avocado Egg Rolls

Everytime my friends and I go to Kona Grill at Perkins Rowe, we have to get the Avocado Egg Rolls (their best appetizer and generally, one of their best sellers).  The dish is pretty simple: fresh avocado, a diced tomato, and cilantro all mixed with a tiny bit of minced onion and salt, then wrapped in a standard egg roll shell and fried (pan fried or deep fried).  YUM! What makes the dish even better is the out of this world Honey Cilantro Asian Dipping Sauce it comes with.  The first time I had this combination, I about lost it.  I just sat there eating, smiling, and refusing to talk.  Avocado Egg Rolls with Honey Cilantro Asian Sauce was (and still is) a taste sensation.

I’ve been searching high and low for a recipe that recreates the dish found at both Kona Grill and the Cheesecake Factory.  The recipe listed here is SPOT ON–it tastes just like the restaurant version of the dish, if not better.  Make these egg rolls as an appetizer with sushi, or other asian cuisines, or double the recipe for a meal.

Avocado Egg Rolls w/Asian Dipping Sauce

This recipe comes courtesy of  the Secret Recipe blog and is dubbed the “Copycat” Avocado Egg Roll dish at Cheesecake Factory (the original can be found here).  I highly suggest using/getting all of the ingredients below and not skimping on too many (especially for the sauce), as what makes this dish special is the blend of asian spices, nuts, and oils that go with the egg rolls.

Ingredients:

–Sauce–

* 1/4 cup olive oil

* 4 teaspoons white vinegar

* 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

* 1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp

* 1/2 cup (or slightly less) honey

* 1 pinch turmeric

* 1/2 cup chopped cashews

* 2/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

* 2 garlic cloves, pressed, or minced

* 2 green onions, chopped (can use 1 tablespoon minced onion)

* 1 tablespoon sugar

* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

* 1 teaspoon cumin

–Egg Rolls–

* 2 avocados, pitted, and chunked

* 4 tablespoons diced tomatoes (can use sun dried)

* 2 tablespoons fresh chopped onion (red or yellow)

* 2 dashes salt

* 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

*  4-6 egg roll wrappers (depending on how much filling your mixture yields)

* 1 egg, beaten

* peanut oil, for frying

1.) Begin by making the sauce: add vinegars, honey, tamarind (and other spices–cilantro, turmeric, black pepper, garlic) into a bowl and whisk.  Add chopped green onions, sugar, and chopped cashews.  Microwave for 1 minute, and use a blender, or food processor to puree the mixture.  Pour mixture into a serving bowl, stir, and refrigerate (covered) until ready to use.

2.) Prepare the avocado egg roll filling: add 2 avocados, onion, tomatoes, cilantro and salt in a bowl.  Mix to combine.

3.) Layout 1 egg roll sheet and fill with 2 tablespoons avocado filling (can use more or less based on your personal preference).

4.) Brush edges with egg yolk (can use water here if making the dish vegan friendly).

5.) Wrap short edges in and then roll egg roll longways (to see how to do this like a professional, see here).  Prepares around 4-6 egg rolls depending on how much filling your avocados yield and how full you make the egg rolls.

7.) Skillet fry egg rolls in 3 tablespoons peanut oil until golden brown on both sides.  Cook to brown corner edges as well.

8.) Transfer to a plate and serve with Asian dipping sauce.  Makes 4-6 egg rolls.  Enjoy!

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