Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Fresh Spring Rolls

spring rolls

Ingredients:

rice paper
very warm water

For the filling:

rice vermicelli noodles(cooked accordingly to the package)
1 pound of shrimp(deveined with the shell on)
fried tofu
Vietnamese ham(click here for my homemade recipe)
bean sprouts
green leaf lettuce
mint
cilantro
saw tooth coriander(optional)
chives(optional)

For the peanut sauce:

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp of hoisen sauce
1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp of sugar dissolved in 1/2 cup of very warm water
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
chopped peanuts for garnish
*you may double the recipe

For the sweet and sour fish sauce:

1/2 cup of sugar dissolved in 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp of very hot water
1/3 cup of fish sauce
1-2 limes
3 cloves of chopped garlic
1 Tbsp of ground chili paste
some sliced Thai chili peppers
some carrots sliced julienne(optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Start off by making your dipping sauces.

To make the peanut sauce:

Add all of the above ingredients(except for the chopped peanuts)into a food processor and puree until smooth. Taste check and adjust seasoning as needed. Sauce will slightly thicken upon standing. Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge.

To make the sweet and sour dipping sauce:

Add all of the above ingredients into a small mixing bowl EXCEPT for the ground chili paste and chili peppers. You want to taste check for seasoning first, and then add the chili last after it's to your liking. Start off with the juice of 1 lime and add more as needed. Store leftover sauce in an air tight container in the fridge, as well.

Add your shrimp in some boiling water until cooked through. Drain and then slice them in half. Remove the shell and then set aside.

Take your tofu and rinse them in some hot water to remove the excess oil. Drain and then pat dry. Cut them in half and then again into thirds. Set them aside.

Cut your Vietnamese ham into the same size as your tofu. You want thin strips to make it easier to roll.

Wash all of your herbs and veggies VERY WELL, and then dry them in a salad spinner.

*Make sure you have all of your fillings, herbs, and veggies in front of you before you begin to assemble.

How to assemble your spring rolls:

Dip your rice paper into some very warm water for about 5 seconds. Place the rice paper on a wooden board. Use your hands to smooth out the rice paper a bit. It will also help soften the rice paper. Take a small piece of lettuce and place it in the middle(make sure you leave at least a 1/2 inch border on the sides to roll up the seams). Add your bean sprout first, and then follow with your choice of herbs and veggies. Top with a small portion of noodles(less is more). On the next row, add two slices of tofu then top that with two slices of ham. For the third row, add 3 pieces of shrimp(the cut side of the shrimp should be visible to you).

Start rolling the rice paper over the veggies and noodles(getting a tight grip), then over your tofu and ham, and right before you roll over the shrimp, fold in the sides of the rice paper, and finally, tightly roll over the shrimp.

Serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauce.

NOTES: Fresh spring rolls do not refrigerate well. The rice paper will become tough and hard, when cold. Make sure you always use very warm water for best results. You do not have to use a wooden board to roll your spring rolls. Personally, it just works better for me because I feel that the wooden boards soak up the water from the rice paper better, so it makes for easier rolling.

13 comments:

  1. Where can I find the noodles like the angry face noodles.....Linda

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  2. Lol. I purchased mine from a Korean market called H Mart. They are always interchanging the brands that they sell, and they actually don't carry that brand anymore. Any vermicelli noodle will work.

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  3. I buy the vermicelli from both a Japanese Asian market and a Korean based one. Both carry a brand that is not in English and is about 8 bundles (servings) to a clear bag that contain a plastic pink hook for hanging once opened (just reseal with a clip or ignore the hook and place in a plastic bag). These are one of our favorite choices as the bundles cook quickly. Just place in a bowl, cover with boiling water, mix a bit, after 4 minutes drain. And noodles will finish cooking as they cool. Ready to use after another two minutes. If not all are used, simply wrap in plastic and place in the fridge. Usually good for one more day.

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  4. Like what??? Why r they no measurements as to how much of the filling stuff we require? And how many rice rolls would 1 pound of shrimp make???? Exact measurements for the sauces but not the rolls... lousy recipe site if you ask me.

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  5. Everyone has their own preference on how much noodles, herbs, shrimp that they want in their spring rolls, so that's why there is no need for an exact recipe. If you watch the video, you can see approximately how much filling you should have before you start rolling.

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  6. I just wanted to say how much this blog helps. My friends will love these. Thanks!!!!! :)

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  7. So glad that I can be of any help! :)

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  8. Hi, I made these yesterday and I must say that these spring rolls do not only look amazing, they also taste subtle and authentic, especially with the sauces on the side.
    To be honest it took me quite some time to make, and I thought I would never make these again... until I served them, that is. They were real good and we felt like we were back on holiday in Viet Nam for a short while. Guess next time I'll make them when I have no time frame. Thanks for the video tutorial!

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  9. Haha! I'm glad that you at least got to enjoy the taste of them! :) Theses definitely take a few tries to get the actual rolling process down. Good luck!

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  10. I have looked everywhere for these noodles here in Hawaii can you tell me where to buy the package you made them with, I have bought several of them and the noodle does not taste very well.

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  11. Hi! I bought the noodles from H-Mart. There are many different brands of rice noodles out there. I think people just have a tendency to overcook the noodles. Try cooking the noodle until it's still a bit firm, remove the pot from the burner, cover the pot with a lid, and let the noodles sit in the hot water for about 2 minutes. Remove cover, check for doneness, and then rinse under cold water in a colander. Hope that helps!

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  12. Great blog and video. Made these tonight for a friend and myself. They tasted amazing, but will take some practice to get good at rolling them. I was a little unsure about the dipping sauce but again tasted awesome
    Thanks!

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  13. Hey quick question, they look so good but I'm in a bit of a time crunch, I was wondering how long it take to make these?

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