VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS (fresh spring rolls)

These are real treasure-pockets, containing so many healthy vegetables and greens. They are not deep fried or shallow fried, so tasty and filling, yet low cal rolls. Another daughter's recipe here.

Ingredients

Rice  spring rolls wrappers - 24

Cooked rice noodles - 1 1/2 cups

Tofu - 1 packet

Green bell pepper - 1, julienned

Red bell pepper - 1, julienned

Carrot - 1 - 2, julienned

Cucumbers - 1, julienned

Spinach - 2 cups, thinly cut

Coriander / cilantro - 1 cup, chopped

Mint leaves - 1 cup

Pickled ginger, as required

For the  Peanut Sauce

Peanut butter - 6 tbsps

Honey - 2 tbsps

Soy Sauce - 3 tbsps

Chilli garlic sauce - 1 1/2 tbsps

Hot chilli (Sriracha or any brand) sauce - 1 1/2 tbsps

Lemon juice - 1 1/2 tbsps

Hot water to mix everything

Recipe Cuisine: International; Category: Lunch / Dinner

Prep time: 30 mts; Cooking time : nil

Yields 24 rolls

Tofu, excess water removed, then sliced, and roasted with 2 tsps Olive oil or sesame oil with some hot chilli sauce, soy sauce and a pinch of salt, then cut into thin strips

Veggies sliced, noodles cooked, and all kept ready

Peanut dipping sauce is also ready. All the ingredients above mentioned for the sauce, whisked well with some hot water, and made into a creamy sauce

Take lukewarm water in a large pan, and dip the wrapper for 15 seconds......then gently remove and lay on the counter or a dry chopping board. This has to be handled very very gently and cautiously, otherwise, it will break or the edges will stick 

Then in the center, chopped bell peppers first, then carrots, and then spinach and cucumber strips

then some tofu pieces, cooked noodles, and some cilantro/coriander leaves

Lastly come the pickled ginger and 1 or 2 mint leaves

Start rolling from the bottom

then the sides

then gently roll till the end, it will cling by itself

A spring roll cut open in the middle to show you what a priceless treasure it is.....

Serve with the aromatic Peanut dipping sauce

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

* You cannot keep the rolls one on top of the other. They will stick. Keep them separately.

* If you are making them ahead, keep them covered with a wet napkin

*If you do not have pickled ginger, thinly sliced ginger slices with the help of a peeler, can be soaked in lime juice for half hour, then they turn pink, and you can use them

Categories: Family contributions, Healthy Cooking, International cuisine, Starters