Vietnamese Spring Rolls With Dipping Sauce Recipes

FRESH VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Pick your dipping sauce of choice above and mix all the sauce ingredients together. Make sure to use warm water for the nuoc cham so that the sugar dissolves more easily.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as necessary.
• I like to prepare the sauce before making the spring rolls so that the flavors have a longer time to develop.
• Fill a medium saucepan or small pot with water and bring it to boil on high heat (see note 6).
• Once the water boils, add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the water and let them cool for 5 minutes. Peel the shells from the shrimp.
• Lay a shrimp on its side on a chopping board. Gently press the shrimp down with one hand and use the other to slice the shrimp in half, horizontally (knife parallel to the chopping board). Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
• Fill a large saucepan or small pot with water and bring it to boil on high heat.
• Turn off the heat. Let the noodles sit in the hot water for about 5 to 8 minutes. Double check the package directions to see how long they should sit in hot water as the cooking time varies across different brands.
• Once the noodles have softened, drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. I like cutting the noodles with kitchen scissors several times so they are shorter and easier to grab.
• Fill a large bowl with lukewarm water to wet the rice paper sheets.
• Transfer all the vegetables, shrimp, herbs, and noodles into bowls and arrange them on your work top.
• Get a chopping board ready. Dip your hand in the water and brush water over the surface of the chopping board so that it is damp. I usually wet the surface again after every 2 spring rolls. Alternatively, lay a damp paper towel over your work surface.
• Quickly dip a sheet of rice paper in the lukewarm water to moisten the entire surface. This should take no longer than a few seconds.
• Lay the wet rice paper on your work surface. Place a piece of butter lettuce close to the bottom edge of the rice paper. Arrange a small pinch each of rice noodles, carrots, cucumber, red bell pepper, and mint leaves over the center of the lettuce leaf (see note 7).
• Arrange 3 pieces of shrimp about 1 1/2 to 2 inches below the top edge of the rice paper. Make sure that the orange/pink side is facing down.
• Grab the lower edge of the rice paper and lettuce and start rolling up the spring roll. Once you have reached the shrimp, fold in the left and right sides. Finish rolling up the spring roll all the way to the end.
• Repeat the rolling process with the rest of the ingredients. If the chopping board is looking dry, brush some water over the board.
• Serve the spring rolls with the dipping sauce.

VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except wraps and oil in a bowl.
• On a damp tea towel, place a wrap, and fill with a couple of tablespoons of the pork mixture in a sausage like shape at one end of the wrap.
• Fold sides in, then begin rolling spring roll at the mixture side.
• Seal roll by moistening edge with water.
• Heat oil over medium-high heat.
• Fry rolls, turning frequently until cooked through and golden, about 5-7 minutes.
• Drain on paper towels, and serve with Spring Roll Sauce (Nuoc Mam).
• Keep warm in heated oven.
• Note: The spring rolls may be made ahead, and frozen, and then fried when thawed.
• Spring rolls may be kept in fridge until ready to fry too, up to a day or two in advance.
• Ground chicken may be substituted for the pork, and chopped shrimp may also be added for a special flavor combination.

VIETNAMESE FRESH SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil. Boil rice vermicelli 3 to 5 minutes, or until al dente, and drain.
• Fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for 1 second to soften. Lay wrapper flat. In a row across the center, place 2 shrimp halves, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, cilantro and lettuce, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end with the lettuce. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
• In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chili sauce.
• In another small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts.
• Serve rolled spring rolls with the fish sauce and hoisin sauce mixtures.

VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Whisk vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl. Set the dipping sauce aside.
• Fill a large bowl with room temperature water. Add rice vermicelli and soak for 1 hour.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in shrimp and cook until curled and pink, about 1 minute. Remove the shrimp and drain. Slice each shrimp in half lengthwise. Transfer rice vermicelli noodles to the pot of boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove and drain in a colander. Immediately rinse the vermicelli with cold water, stirring to separate the noodles.
• To assemble the rolls, dip 1 rice wrapper in a large bowl of room temperature water for a few seconds to soften. Place wrapper on a work surface and top with 4 shrimp halves, 1/4 of the chopped lettuce, 1/2 ounce vermicelli, and 1/4 each of the mint, cilantro, and Thai basil. Fold right and left edges of the wrapper over the ends of the filling and roll up the spring roll. Repeat with remaining wrappers and ingredients. Cut each roll in half and serve with dipping sauce.

VIETNAMESE SHRIMP ROLLS WITH SWEET CHILI DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the cooked cellophane noodles, veggies, cilantro and peanuts in a bowl and toss with the sesame oil and lime juice. Season with the salt and pepper to taste.
• In a large shallow bowl, dilute the sugar in 3 cups of hot water and stir.
• One at a time, immerse the rice paper spring roll wrappers in the hot water for 10 seconds and then place them on a damp towel. Keep them covered while you work to prevent them drying out and curling up. (The rice paper is very delicate so don't soak them any longer than 10 seconds.).
• To form the rolls: lay a rice paper wrapper on a flat surface. Take a small amount of the cellophane noodle & veggie mixture and lay it across the bottom third. Use less filling than you think you should; if you overstuff the wrapper it will tear. Carefully fold the bottom of the wrapper up to cover the filling then fold in the left and right sides, then tuck and roll it over once.
• Lay 2 pieces of shrimp on top, then tuck and roll it over again.
• Lay 2 mint leaves on top and then tuck and roll it over to close the whole thing up. The shrimp and mint leaves should show through the transparent rice paper. Arrange the finished rolls on a platter and cover with a damp cloth.
• To prepare sauce: Puree the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, hot water, sugar, lime juice, garlic and sambal oelek in a blender until all combined. Pour into a serving bowl and add the grated carrot and radish mix.
• Serve the shrimp rolls with the sweet chili dipping sauce.