It’s the NEW year and we all want to be healthy. We know vegetables are good for us but for many, eating fresh, raw vegetables is a chore.
I love to make fresh vegetables and herbs FUN by eating them in all sorts of different ways. One of my current favourites is making Vietnamese Tapioca Paper Rolls. What I LOVE about them is they are so versatile and I can change the flavour profile from Vietnamese to Thai, Japanese, Korean, Italian etc. by simply changing the dipping sauce and herbs!
They are perfect any time of year but during summer on a scorching day, they taste particularly wonderful and leave me feeling satisfied but light and refreshed at the same time.
As the adaptations are endless, I’ll go through a few to give you an idea of your options. Most people are familiar with rice paper which usually is made with varying degrees of white rice, tapioca and water. These are available in asian groceries stores and many standard grocery stores with a range of asian products. You can also buy 100% brown rice paper in most health food stores. And for those who are not eating grains, there are 100% tapioca paper which can be harder to find but are available in large asian shops. They come from Vietnam so ask for them if you are finding them hard to find and look in Vietnamese grocers.
You can put whatever fresh vegetables you love inside so if any listed below do not appeal to you, swap them for ones you do enjoy or have on hand. For asian varieties, cilantro and mint make a divine combination. If you want an Italian flavour profile, try basil and parsley! You can add vermicelli (thin noodles) or not as you wish. Vermicelli, like rice paper comes in many forms - white rice, brown rice, mung bean, potato + mung bean etc. Read the ingredients before you buy. Vermicelli can have ingredients such as corn and other undesirable ingredients hidden inside. I have noticed the brands sold in the larger supermarkets are full of unwanted ingredients. Vermicelli is available in grocery stores, health food shops, asian markets and on-line.
The dipping sauce is what makes paper rolls scrumpdilicious! So adapt the sauce to your preferences. If you don’t like chili, leave it out. Add or delete salt to your needs. While traditional paper rolls use an oil free dipping sauce, any oil based dressing can work as your sauce. You can make a creamy nut or avocado based sauce if that is your thing. .The sky is the limit. If you are adventruous, you will discover lots of lovely combinations keeping this meal new, exciting and varied. My summer and current favourite is below.
Vietnamese Tapioca Paper Rolls
Paper Rolls need to be made fresh and eaten right away. If you make a larger amount of sauce it will last for a day or two. If you want left overs for the next day or two, prepare a large platter of vegetables (pictured at the front) and save in the refrigerator in an airlight glass container.
Roll up only what you plan to eat.
Ingredients
2-4 sheets of tapioca, rice or brown rice paper, per serve
iceberg lettuce leaves, washed, spun and dried, (or butter lettuce leaves, cos lettuce leaves or baby spinach leaves)
1 carrot, ends trimmed, peeled and julienned
1/2 large red pepper, stem and seeds removed, julienned
4 medium slices red or brown onion, finely chopped or 2-4 green onions, thinly sliced
4 red radishes, ends trimmed + julienned
handful of edible podded peas, ends trimmed and thinly sliced
1 cucumber, ends trimmed, peeled and julienned
1 avocado, pitted and flesh cut into slices
large handful of fresh cilantro, washed, spun, dried and finely chopped
handful of fresh mint leaves, stems removed, washed, spun, dried and finely chopped
50 grams or 1 serve of organic potato and mung bean thread noodles, soaked for 5-7 minutes in boiling water, strained
Dipping Sauce
3 tbs fresh lime or lemon juice
2 tbs No fish sauce (recipe last post) or Redboat / Son Fish Sauce
1 tbs raw honey (or coconut sugar / pure maple syrup)
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated (optional)
1-2 red chillies, stems removed and finely chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper (optional)
Method
Start by making the sauce. Squeeze a lime or lemon. Place juice, no fish sauce (or fish sauce) and honey (or chosen sweetener) in to a small bowl. Taste. Add more lime/lemon juice for tartness, No fish sauce for more umami, salt (if using fish sauce, it has a lot of salt) or honey for balance or sweetness. Add the chilli and garlic if desired. Taste again and adjust if needed. Honey will tone down spice as well as soften the acidity. When the sauce is to your liking, put it aside for the flavour to deepen while you prepare the rolls.
Prepare vegetables and herbs and place on a large plate or platter. For ease, use a mandolin for the hard vegetables. Keep the vegetables on the small side so they are easier to roll and eat.
in a wide, large bowl fill an inch or two deep with filtered water. Boil filtered water and add to the bowl to make it warm water.
In another small bowl, add the vermicelli and cover with boiling water. Allow to sit for 5-7 minutes or follow instructions on the packet.
Take out the tapioca paper rolls and place on a dry surface beside the platter of vegetables and the bowl of warm water. Rinse the noodles when they have softened adequately and place the bowl of noodles next to the plate of vegetables.
I use a flat, thin, plastic cutting sheet for rolling because the tapioca sheets do not stick to this. Use whatever surface that works for you. Follow the instructions on the paper rolls you have chosen. Tapioca paper does not need to be soaked. Gently dip the tapioca paper in to the warm water covering the entire sheet. It will still be firm as you place it on to the flat cutting board. Then layer the lettuce leaves flat on the paper leaving a 2 inch border at the edges
Then place the avocado slices, noodles, onion, carrot, red papper, radishes, edible podded peas and herbs in a line across the paper about 1/4 to 1/3 up the paper from the bottom leaving the 2 inch border on each side. By this time the tapioca paper will be supple. Very gently lift the bottom on the paper over the filling, fold the left and right sides in front and continue to roll the same way you would roll up a burrito. Place on a plate and continue until you have completed as many rolls as you plan to serve.
Enjoy your rolls with dipping sauce on the side.
