Rolling into Summer!

Whether you call them spring rolls, rice paper wraps, salad rolls, or summer rolls, they’re crunchy, tempting, and tasty. Make these delicious treats to get some “wows” from guests or to have a fun family bonding time while creating a meal. Chetana Parameswar shows you how!

Summer is almost here. The days are getting longer and warmer. Warmer days come with spending more time outdoors and less time cooking elaborate meals. If one desires to have variety in healthy, colorful yet light meals, these delectable morsels of goodness are a must-add in the summer meal plan.

The origin of these rolls traditionally comes from Vietnam, where the summers can be quite hot. The locals would find fresh foods to help them stay cool. The dipping sauce that accompanied these was made from sticky rice and fermented soybeans. As these rolls became popular in other countries, the sauce and fillings have become more varied.

Method

Preparing the fillings:

1. Follow the instructions on your pack of glass noodles/rice vermicelli. We used glass noodles, which I had to soak in boiling hot water for 5 minutes and then drain. Cool to room temperature.
2. Mix all the ingredients for the tofu marinade in a bowl. Pat dry and cut the tofu into thick sticks, marinate and pan fry for about 2-3 minutes on each side. We prefer smoked tofu, but one can always choose plain. Cool to room temperature.
3. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and whisk them well together. If the peanut butter doesn’t mix well, you can pop the bowl in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds and whisk it again till it’s smooth. If the sauce seems too thick you can add in a teaspoon of water and stir.
4. Prepare all your veggies, fruit, and herbs by washing and cutting them into thin slices, sticks of equal length, or shapes of your choice.

Assembling the rolls:

1. Fill a shallow dish or a pie pan (slightly larger than your rice paper wrapper size) with warm water.
2. Arrange your prepared ingredients on your kitchen counter or work surface so it’s easy to assemble the rolls.
3. Dip the rice paper wrapper in water for a few seconds just until it’s moist and shake off the extra water drops in the sink. The wrapper should be flexible to fold and not soggy.
4. Lay it down on a flat surface (cutting board, kitchen counter, tea towel). Let it set and dry a tiny bit before you arrange your fillings.
5. In the center, layer your filling ingredients. The first layer is the one you will see when the roll is complete so go ahead and create a pattern of your choice created with vegetables or fruit. Layer it with other ingredients such as glass noodles, tofu, etc. Be careful not to overfill (see step-wise images).

   
   

6. Roll up the rice paper halfway to cover the filling, then fold two sides of the rice sheet inward.
7. Make sure you have all the fillings tucked in and continue rolling tightly and it’s ready. The wrapper sticks to itself making a neat sealed package.
8. Repeat for the rest.
9. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce or cover with a damp tea towel/cling wrap and store in a cool place. They’re best consumed within a few hours of making.

If one would like to keep these even lower in carbohydrates, then swap the rice paper for iceberg lettuce or other salad leaves that you prefer. If you give these a try, do take a quick picture before you dig in, and share it with us, tagging @namasteswitzerland.ch and @chetsinthekitchen on Instagram.

Wishing you all a happy start to the summer!

Disclaimer: Opinions and methods expressed are solely of the writer. Namaste Switzerland does not undertake any obligation or liability which may arise from the content.