Easy Guide to Samosa, Spring Rolls(

Small Chops)

If there is one thing I absolutely love about most parties, it has to be small chops!

The moment when a tray of freshly fried samosas, spring rolls, puff-puff and other little treats makes its way around at a party? Somehow, everybody suddenly finds space for “just one more.” which end up becoming five or even more.

As someone who loves baking and creating delicious treats, small chops are one of those things I enjoy making because there are so many different varieties you can put together. They are perfect for celebrations, family gatherings, customer orders, or even those days when you simply want to make something special at home.

So today, I’m taking you into my kitchen to share how I make some popular small chops and some of the little tips I’ve picked up along the way.

Let’s get started!

What Are Small Chops?

Small chops are basically bite-sized snacks and appetizers that are commonly served at parties and events.

Some of the popular ones include:

• Samosa
• Spring rolls
• Puff-puff
• Buns
• Fish rolls
• Mini sausage rolls
• Meat pie
• Chicken kebabs
• Pepper gizzard
• Gizdodo

But for the purpose of this tutorial, I will only only talk on samosa and spring rolls because I already made a recipe for puff puff and buns. (you can check it out)

One thing I love about small chops is that you don’t have to make everything on the list.

You can choose just two, three or four varieties and still have a beautiful and delicious platter.

For me, samosa, spring rolls and puff-puff are a great place to start if you’re making small chops for the first time.

What You Need to Make Small Chops

The ingredients will depend on the particular snacks you’re making.

For the two varieties I’ll be talking about, you’ll need ingredients such as:

For Samosa

• Samosa wraps
• Minced meat or chicken
• Carrots
• Green Jalapeno
• Onion
• Red and Green bell pepper
• Sesamine oil
• Curry powder
• Oyster sauce
• Fennel / coriander
• Seasoning
• Salt
• Vegetable oil

For Spring Rolls

• Spring roll wrappers
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Red bell pepper
• Green pepper
• Onion
• spring onion
• Seasoning
• Sesamine oil
• Salt
• Vegetable oil

How I Make Small Chops

1. Making the Samosa

Prepare the Filling

Start by heating a little vegetable and sesame oil in a pan.

Add your chopped onions and stir then add your minced meat and cook properly while you continue to stir to avoid lumps.

Then add your carrots, green/red bell pepper stir and add green jalepeno.

Blend your fennel and coriander together and add into the pan

Pour in a little curry powder

Gently add the oyster sauce and taste the fillings

Add seasoning if necessary.

Stir everything together and allow it to cook until the vegetables are tender.

Once it’s ready, allow the filling to cool completely before using it.

This is one step I wouldn’t skip because hot filling can make your wrappers difficult to handle.

Fill and Fold

Take one samosa wrapper and place a small amount of filling on it.

Fold it carefully into a triangle and seal the edge with a little flour paste.

Try not to overfill it.

Too much filling can cause your samosa to burst while frying.

Fry

Heat your vegetable oil over medium heat.

Carefully place the samosas into the oil and fry until golden brown and crispy.

Once they’re ready, remove them and place in a frying basket laced with serviette and allow the excess oil to drain.

And there you have it—beautiful crispy samosas!

2. Making Spring Rolls

Prepare the Filling

Heat a little vegetable and sesame oil in a pan.

Add your shredded onions and stir then add carrot and leave for a while

Go in with green / red bell pepper and stir for a while too

Pour in your shredded cabbage and seasoning to taste and stir-fry until the vegetables are cooked but still have a little crunch

Lastly add spring onion and drop the fillings down

Allow the filling to cool before wrapping.

Wrap the Spring Rolls

Place your wrapper on a clean surface.

Add a small amount of filling near one edge.

Fold the sides inward and roll it tightly.

Seal the edge using flour paste.

Don’t make the rolls too full. A little filling is enough.

Fry

Heat your oil over medium heat and fry the spring rolls until they’re golden brown and crispy.

One thing I always remind myself when frying small chops is not to overcrowd the oil.

Fry in batches instead.

My Tips for Making Delicious Small Chops

Here are some of the tips I always keep in mind:

1. Don’t Overfill Your Wrappers

Whether you’re making samosa or spring rolls, less is often better.

Too much filling can make the wrapper burst while frying.

2. Let Your Filling Cool

This is very important.

Don’t rush to wrap hot filling. Allow it to cool first.

3. Watch Your Oil Temperature

You don’t want your oil screaming hot.

If the oil is too hot, your snacks can brown too quickly without cooking properly inside.

If it’s too cold, the snacks can absorb too much oil.

4. Fry in Batches

I know it can be tempting to put everything into the pot at once when you’re trying to finish quickly.

Don’t do it.

Give your snacks enough room to fry properly.

5. Drain Your Small Chops Properly

After frying, allow the excess oil to drain.

I prefer using a draining rack when possible because it allows air to circulate underneath the snacks.

How I Keep Small Chops Crispy

Nobody wants to spend time making beautiful small chops only for them to become soggy.

To help keep them crispy:

• Don’t cover them immediately after frying.
• Allow excess oil to drain.
• Don’t pile hot snacks on top of one another.
• Allow them to cool slightly before packaging.
• Avoid putting very hot small chops into completely airtight containers.

If you’re preparing them for an event or customer order, timing is also important.

Whenever possible, prepare and fry them close to the time they will be served or better still fry at the venue of the event/occasion.

Why I Love Making Small Chops

For me, food is more than just putting ingredients together.

I love the process of preparing something from scratch and watching people enjoy the finished product.

And that’s one of the reasons I enjoy baking and making different treats.

Small chops also remind me that you don’t always need something complicated to make people happy.

Sometimes, it’s just a crispy spring roll, a tasty samosa or a warm puff-puff that does the job.

Final Thoughts

Making small chops may seem like a lot of work when you’re looking at several different snacks at once.

But once you break everything down, it becomes much easier.

Prepare your fillings ahead of time, organize your ingredients, keep your wrappers properly sealed, watch your oil temperature, and most importantly, don’t rush yourself.

Whether you’re making small chops for your family, preparing for a party, or adding them to your food business menu, practice will make the process easier.

And if you’re just starting out, don’t worry if your first batch isn’t perfect.

Keep practicing.

That’s how we learn.

From my kitchen to yours, I hope you try this recipe and have fun making your own delicious Nigerian small chops.

Happy cooking and baking!

Love,
Ruby!