Fresh Vietnamese spring-rolls

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Fresh vietnamese spring rolls are among my favorite dishes. Take rice paper and moister it with wet kitchen paper. I find making a staple with layers of rice paper and kitchen paper the easiest way. The delicate rice paper is easy to handle like this. I serve lots plates with the different ingredients and let the people roll their own rolls. Typical ingredients (for people who don’t eat meat) are shrimps, crab meat, thai basil, cilantro, rice noodles and mint.

Serve them with the two classic vietnamese dips Nuoc cham and peanut sauce.

Vietnamese Bean & Peanut Dipping Sauce

(tuong goi cuon)

Ingredients:

– 1/2 cup ground roasted peanuts (add more if you like)

– 1/4 cup salted or fermented whole soybeans

– 1/4 cup water

– 1/3 cup coconut milk

– 4 Tbsp brown sugar

– 4 Tbsp chopped shallots

– 2 Tbsp rice vinegar

– 1 tsp Vietnamese style chilli paste in vinegar (sambal oelek) – optional

1. Add to a blender or food processor, the soybeans, water, coconut milk,

brown sugar, shallots and vinegar. Blend into a smooth liquid.

2. Add mixture to a saucepan and bring to a boil on moderate heat.

3. Reduce heat to simmer and add peanuts and sambal oelek (chilli).

4. Cook on simmer for 5 minutes or more and your sauce has thickened.

5. Serve when cooled down.

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

(Nuoc Cham)

Ingredients:

– 4 Thai bird’s eye chillies, chopped finely or 1 tsp sambal oelek (chilli paste)

– 4 pips of garlic, pounded or chopped finely

– 3 Tbsp brown sugar

– 2 Tbsp lime juice

– 5 Tbsp fish sauce

– 1/3 cup lukewarm water

Mix everything together in a medium sized bowl and make sure the sugar dissolves well.