Vietnamese Spring Rolls

[Guest guest]

I had these when my ship was in Vietnam and I looked for years before

I found a Vietnamese lady that made them the same way and she gave me

her recipe.

 

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

(Makes 36 rolls)

 

4 ounces thin rice stick or cellophane noodles

½-cup bean sprouts

½-cup grated carrot

½-cup grated daikon or jicama

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

½-cup coarsely chopped dill or mint leaves, or a mixture

3 Tablespoons roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

12 sheets of rice paper

1 head of soft lettuce, such as Boston lettuce, leaves washed, dried

and cut in half

Chili dipping sauce (see recipe that follows)

 

Soak noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes or until soft and pliable.

Drain, immerse in cold water and drain again. Cut noodles into 2-inch

lengths.

 

In a large bowl, mix noodles with bean sprouts, carrot, daikon or

jicama, garlic, and soy sauce.

 

Working with no more than 2 rice paper sheets at a time, immerse the

rice paper in a shallow bowl of warm water and quickly remove it.

(Letting the rice wrapper sit in the water can result in its

disintegration.) Lay the wrapper on a plate and place about two

Tablespoons of the noodle mixture toward the bottom of the wrapper.

Add a pinch of each herb and a few peanuts (if desired). Fold the

bottom of the wrapper up over the mixture, about a third of the way

up. Tuck sides of the wrapper in and roll up tightly to form a tube.

The damp paper should stick together. Place on a tray or plate and

cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap until all the rice papers are

filled.

 

Cut each roll into three pieces. To eat, wrap roll in lettuce leaf and

dip in chili sauce.

 

Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.

~Albert Einstein