Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls are a healthy, tasty and portable snack alternative to begin any party. Geoff Jansz has an easy-to-follow recipe for the rolls and a special dipping sauce.

Vietnamese Rice Paper Roll Recipe

Ingredients:

• 10 sheets rice paper, available round or square
• 100g bean shoots
• 100g rice vermicelli (rice noodles)
• 1/2 red capsicum, thinly sliced cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot,thinly sliced
• 10 cooked green prawns
• 1 tablespoon fresh spearmint or mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh coriander garlic chives or regular chives, one for each roll

Method:

• Blanch the bean shoots quickly in boiling water, then plunge them into ice cold water. Drain well.
• Soak the vermicelli noodles in boiling water for two minutes, drain well.
• Soak the rice paper in warm water for 20 seconds and place on a clean towel or tea towel to absorb the excess moisture. Tip: To make prawns straight and easier to roll in rice paper, buy green prawns, peel them and thread onto a skewer. Drop into boiling water for two minutes, let them cool and take them off the skewers.
• Shred the mint and coriander leaves.
• Place some noodles and bean shoots and other ingredients on a piece of rice paper and roll the rice paper just enough to cover the filling.
• Tuck in the ends, then place a piece of prawn in the roll and continue rolling until the rice paper runs out.

Dipping Sauce Recipe

A traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce can be made to have with the rice paper rolls. Alternatively, use Hoisin sauce which is a Chinese barbecue sauce that can be served straight into a dipping bowl or diluted with water to weaken the flavour.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• garlic, crushed (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon pickled red chilli, ground (or fresh to taste)
• 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts, ground

Method:

1. Boil the water and sugar together for two minutes, then allow to cool.
2. Mix in the lemon juice or vinegar, fish sauce, crushed garlic, pickled red chilli and nuts and serve with the rice paper rolls.

Availability

The ingredients are available from good supermarkets or Asian food stores. Alternatively try the following stockists: The Essential Ingredient, 4 Australia Street, Camperdown, NSW, 2050. Phone: (02) 9550 5477. The Vital Ingredient, 206 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne, VIC, 3205.
Phone: (03) 9696 3511. Simon Johnson Purveyor of Quality Foods, 181 Harris Street, Pyrmont, NSW, 2009. Phone: (02) 9552 2522.