Air Fryer Ngoh Hiang (Chinese Pork Roll)

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Ngoh Hiang, a Chinese pork roll dish, also known as Loh Bak or Asian Pork Sausage or Pork Spring Roll is a typical dish in Asia. Even in The Philippines, there is a similar version called ngohiong or ngo-yong, which is a deep-fried, battered rice-paper roll that is made of jicama, bamboo shoots, pork, shrimps, garlic, and onions. In Singapore, its Chinese name is 五香, which means five spices. It probably got its name from the Chinese five spice powder which gives the dish its unique flavour. You can find this dish in local hawker centres, fresh market food stalls, restaurants, it’s almost something as common as rice in the local food scene in Singapore.

In most homes, ngoh hiang is made during the festivities and especially during Chinese New Year. I have tried many different versions made by my aunties and friends’ mums, they all taste very delicious, yet slightly different. The ingredients might differ households to households and among different dialect groups, the one that I love is the version made with water chestnuts as it brings some crunchiness to the minced meat, as well as ultra crispy exterior which is made of tofu skin. It’s eaten as an appetizer, or a snack, and it’s usually prepared in advanced, chilled in the fridge, before pan frying to serve.

How To Make Ngoh Hiang

This dish is basically made with minced pork meat seasoned with five-spice powder. Different recipes call for adding either shrimp or fish paste, onions, water chestnuts, carrots, or other vegetables, before wrapping it in dried bean curd sheets into a spring roll shape. The cooking method is usually to steam, before pan frying or deep frying it. As the process of making it can quite long, it makes sense to make a batch, steam it then save it in the fridge, and then fry it before serving.

This ngoh hiang recipe I’ve tried using just my Ninja Max XL Air Fryer, it tastes just as good as the steam and fry version. I’ve also kept the extra ones I made in the fridge and air fry it again the next day, it’s super yummy still.

Your might also like to check out my Nonya Achar recipe, something that we always eat as part of the starter on our dining table.

Watch how to make Air Fryer Ngoh Hiang on YouTube

Air Fryer Ngoh Hiang

Ngoh Hiang, a Chinese pork roll dish, aka Loh Bak or Pork Spring Roll is a typical dish in Asia. This dish is basically made with minced pork meat seasoned with five-spice powder. This air fryer recipe makes the cooking process much quicker and easier.

5 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Chinese

Servings 4 persons

Calories 230 kcal

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tbsp sesame oil
• ▢ 2 tsp five-spice powder
• ▢ 1 tsp white pepper
• ▢ 4 tsp soy sauce
• ▢ 180 g fish paste
• ▢ 6 water chestnuts
• ▢ 250 g minced pork
• ▢ 2 tbsp corn starch (or corn flour in Asia) to add to meat
• ▢ 1 tbsp corn starch (or corn flour in Asia) to mix with water
• ▢ 2 tbsp Water
• ▢ 1 large piece dry bean skin

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Wash water chestnuts thoroughly to get rid of dirt and soil (if any). Peel off skin and chop into fine pieces.
  6 water chestnuts
  
• ▢
  Optional step: Pick up the minced pork like a ball and 'throw' the minced pork back into the bowl a couple of times. It gives the 'QQ' or chewy texture to the meat.
  250 g minced pork
  
• ▢
  Mix pork, fish paste, minced water chestnuts with sesame oil, pepper, soy sauce and five-spice powder together.
  1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tsp five-spice powder, 1 tsp white pepper, 180 g fish paste, 4 tsp soy sauce
  
• ▢
  Then add 2 tbsp corn flour and mix well together.
  2 tbsp corn starch (or corn flour in Asia)
• ▢
  Lay the dry bean skin on a clean surface, use a damp paper towel to wipe off excess salt from the dry bean skin. Cut the dry bean skin into 15x18xm sheets. You can also cut it to the size you like.
  1 large piece dry bean skin
  
• ▢
  Mix 1 tbsp corn flour with 2 tbsp water. This serves as the 'glue' to seal the pork rolls.
  1 tbsp corn starch (or corn flour in Asia), 2 tbsp Water
• ▢
  Place about 1 tbsp full of meat filling onto each dry bean skin. Fold in the sides and the bottom and start rolling into a spring roll shape. 'Seal' the sides with the corn flour mixture.
  
• ▢
  Preheat air fryer at 180 degree celsius for 3 minutes.
• ▢
  Place the ngoh hiang into the preheated air fryer leaving some space around each other. Brush some cooking oil onto the ngoh hiang.
• ▢
  Air fry at 180 degree celsius for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the ngoh hiang halfway during air frying to make sure it's evenly cooked.
  
• ▢
  Chill in fridge in an airtight container. Airfry to heat up again at 150 degree celsius for 3-4 minutes and it's ready to serve.
  

Video

Notes

You can cut the dry bean sheets into small sheets and make smaller ngoh hiang.

I used the Pagoda brand corn flour I bought in Singapore. It’s a fine white coloured flour. In other parts of the world, it might be called corn starch. Apparently corn flour is a yellow coloured powder made from dried finely ground corn, and corn starch is a fine white coloured powder derived from the starchy part of a corn kernel. Corn starch is mainly used as a thickener or added to meat marinade to help tenderise the meat.

You can add vegetables such as onions, carrots to substitute with water chestnuts. 

Instead of air fry, you can steam for about 10-15 minutes, brush some oil on the steaming tray before steaming. Store in freezer or chiller. To serve, simply pan fry with some oil or air fry for about 12 minutes over 180 degree celsius. 

Nutrition

Calories: 230kcal

Keyword air fryer, appetizer, chinese, meat dish, pork roll

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