Spring time Spring Rolls

Spring time Spring Rolls
Vietnamese style spring rolls served with two sauces to dip, perfect for a spring snack. 

Prepare time: 30 min
Cook: 15 min
Ready in: 45 min
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients
for around 6/8 big spring rolls

For the shrimps

• 350 grams shrimps
• 70 grams fresh garlic sprouts (Asian supermarket)  if you can’t find it use 1 chopped garlic and some spring onions to season the shrimps
• 6 grams of peeled and grated ginger
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 spicy chilli pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce

For the filling and the spring rolls

• 150 grams of vermicelli  (soaked)
• 2 cucumbers
• 3 carrots
• 35 grams of freshly chopped coriander
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 35 grams of fresh garlic sprouts
• 2 tbsp of soy sauce
• 8 rice paper sheets

For the coconut/peanut sauce

• 150 grams of peanut butter
• 100 grams of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp Hoisin sauce
• 50 ml water
• 30 grams of freshly chopped peanuts

For the spicy soy sauce

• 1 spicy chilli (seedless)
• 5 grams coriander freshly chopped
• 50 grams of Soy sauce
• Juice of 2 limes
• Zest of 1 lime
• 3 grams of ginger
• 1 tsp fish sauce

Preparation of the shrimps
Start with cleaning the shrimps if needed and leave on the side. Then wash and dry the garlic sprouts for both the shrimps and the vermicelli later on. Then peel and grate the ginger for both the shrimps and for the spicy soy sauce later on. Take a sauté pan and start with the vegetable oil, when hot add the chilli pepper and the grated ginger. Let the oil get infused by these flavours. Then add the shrimps sauté for a couple of minutes until browned and then add the sprouts. Stir everything well and start adding sesame oil and soy sauce. Leave everything for another 5 minutes until all is combined and flavoured. Then leave on the side for rolling the spring rolls.

Preparation of the filling
Bring a pot with water to boil and take a tray or bowl in which you can soak the vermicelli. Wash the carrots and cucumbers. Then peel and grate them. Leave on the side in a bowl for rolling later on. wash and dry the coriander, chop finely and leave on the side. Then chop the garlic sprouts and leave on the side for when we sauté the vermicelli after soaking. When the water boils, leave it inside the bowl or tray with vermicelli. Let it soak for 5 minutes maximum. Then heat up the pan that u used before for the shrimps. Add some extra vegetable oil, when hot add the chopped garlic sprouts and after 2 minutes add the soaked vermicelli. Add the soy sauce, stir everything well and leave for another 3 minutes. Then leave on the side in a bowl for rolling the spring rolls.

Preparation of the coconut/peanut sauce
Take a small pot and add the peanut butter and coconut milk. Bring on low heat and use a whisk or spoon to stir. When both are combined add some water and the Hoisin sauce. Stir well until al is combined. Then chop the fresh peanuts and leave on the side for serving.

Preparation of the spicy soy sauce
Take the chilli pepper remove the seeds and chop both the chilli and coriander. Then take a bowl to mix the sauce in. Add the soy sauce, juice and zest of the limes, the ginger and fish sauce. Mix everything and check the flavour. After leave on the side for serving

Rolling the Spring Rolls
Make sure you have space on a table or kitchen counter for all your fillings and to soak the rice sheets. Take a tray or bowl again to soak the rice papers. Preheat the water from before if it got cold in the pan and add into the tray/bowl. Then start with a rice paper sheet soak until it gets soft (not to soft), when you soak it to long it will be to sticky to work with. So 3 to 5 seconds more or less would be enough, then leave them on a cutting board and start in the middle of the sheet in a vertical line start  with the shrimps, followed by vermicelli, the raw vegetables, fresh coriander and even some peanuts if you like.

Closing/Cutting the Spring Rolls
Start with folding the top and bottom of the sheet towards each other, then roll from one side over the filling and pull it towards you, so the filling is tight inside, then roll until the end of the sheet until they’re completely closed. If you decide to cut the Spring rolls in half then I would suggest you to take a sharp knife and hold it underneath hot water before cutting through the rolls, this helps sliding more easily and will keep the spring rolls in a better shape.

Serving the Spring Rolls
I love to serve the spring rolls as an appetizer, you will surprise your guests and it’s a light and healthy way to start your dinner. But even for a lunch they are perfect! Take a nice tray or plate, add the spring rolls, put the sauces in little bowls and add some extra coriander on top of the spring rolls. Then on the plate you can add extra veggies, chilli pepper and limes, so your guests can choose whatever they want.

Enjoy!