Recipe Help - "Egg Roll" veggie strudel

I concocted something yesterday which ended up delicious, but not where I wanted it to be texturally.

I julienned mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, stir fried, seasoning with soy, lots of ginger, white pepper, sugar, stir fried until reasonably soft but no liquid in the pan, then added some peanut butter for that old-school egg roll flavor. I then rolled it in three layers of phyllo that had been brushed with a butter-sesame oil mix with sesame seeds to keep the layers crisp. (The phyllo technique mostly comes from Nicole Routhier's Cooking Under Wraps, where a garlic-spread pork loin is cooked that way -- but she didn't use sesame oil).

When rolled up, they were fat, round tubes, but as they baked (at 400 for about 25 minutes) they slumped, leaked liquid and never really browned up.

I'd like to try something like this again some time, but I'd like it to come out crisper.
Any recommendations?
[*] Add cornstarch to the veggies?
[*] Different veggies less likely to leak liquid?
[*] Pre-cook longer? shorter?

i've worked with phyllo dough a fair amount. the browning effect will come simply from baking them longer. i think 400 degrees is the right temperature. i don't believe you can completely eliminate some liquid leakage. i would try baking them on a rack placed in your pan (or try a cookie sheet with a cooling rack in it). if the liquid drips out, it will at least leave the rolls. (i'd line the pan with foil for easiest cleanup). i'd want the veggies fully cooked, as it seems you've done. the oven is basically for cooking/browning/crisping the phyllo. turn the rolls over halfway, if the bottom isn't too soggy. i hope this helps.

I would agree--obviously, the reason you don't have "leakage" in most eggrolls is because they're deep fried, so everything is quickly sealed into the "container". If you're baking veggies left in any form in which they are still recognizable as veggies, you would almost have to still have some liquid and that will seep. I'd agree with Joan that at least getting them up off the bottom of the cooking pan will help, as might adding some kind of binding agent (cornstarch, arrowroot, flour), but soggy bottoms may be unavoidable with a wrapping as delicate (and non-absorbent) as phyllo...

How did you roll the phyllo? Layer it all, then top with veggies and roll?

Try layering a couple of sheets, rolling up tightly, then placing the roll on top of more layers of phyllo. That will help to keep the wet stuff contained in the middle. Also, you might sprinkle a little tapioca or something else to absorb liquid in with the veggies.

Please let us know what works when you get it right.

I think it's your veg mix. Mushrooms, zucchini, and even peppers have a lot of liquid. Maybe julienne then salt and let sit in a colander for an hour to draw out the water?

i was just perusing abby mandel's wonderful cookbook, 'celebrating the midwestern table', and stumbled on a good idea for phyllo. i've never tried this, but in her recipe for spinach and feta strudel she uses a beaten mixture of 1T.olive oil and 1 egg white to brush on the phyllo sheets as she's assembling the strudel, and brushes it on the outside as well. she says it'll make the strudel extra crispy. it definitely sounds worth trying to me as the egg white should help form a barrier between the filling and the phyllo. (this is instead of using melted butter). please let me know if you try this and it helps.