My previous post was all about the delicious inspiration served up over at Frugal Feeding, (noodle broth + spring rolls) and while he offers his own recipe for spring rolls, I chose to simply use what I had on hand.
For me, the best part of spring rolls is their versatility…fresh or fried, vegetarian or meat based – the combinations abound…
While the rolling wasn’t that simple, it wasn’t that difficult either…a little more practice and time (I had two very hungry people patiently waiting for me to ‘figure it out’) and I’ll have it down! These rolls were scrumptious nonetheless…
You’ll need one packet of Spring Roll Wrappers and rice noodles, plus whatever filling you’d like to add – see my list below for ideas.
First here’s how to use spring roll wrappers;
1. Fill a shallow tray/dish with hot water and place a spring roll wrapper into the water until it is soft and pliable (about 15-20 seconds).
2. Remove the wrapper and gently lay onto a damp tea towel and blot until until it is slightly sticky/dry.
3. Place the filling of your choice in the middle of the wrapper and then fold in two opposing sides, not fully covering the filling, then roll the third side over and upwards to form a neat roll shape.
Here’s one filling suggestion (more below);
1 cup cooked rice noodles – chilled, whole (some recipes suggest chopping – I didn’t)
handful fresh spinach leaves
1-2 small carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbs. bean sprouts
handful fresh mint and or coriander (cilantro), chopped
red chili
1. Mix all ingredients in bowl. Use one (more/less) heaping spoon full of mixture per wrapper (or whatever portion you find suitable for the wrappers you are using).
2. Place mixture in center of wrapper, add a dash of tamari or soy sauce and roll as instructed above.
3. Serve immediately. Or deep fry for about 2 minutes and serve with dipping sauce. We used tamari, though a sweet and sour chili sauce would be lovely too!
We enjoyed them both fresh and fried. See for yourself.
Here are a few more suggestions to try, or any combination thereof, the choice is entirely up to you…
lettuce leaves
medium sized prawns (cooked)
shredded duck (cooked)
fresh basil
pak choi, finely chopped
chopped garlic
chopped ginger
any fresh green which can be eaten raw
cabbage – thinly sliced
This is a refreshingly light, yet extremely satisfying meal…especially when served with noodle broth.
enjoy!
How do you like your spring rolls?
