Food Demo Guide:Vietnamese Veggie

Spring Rolls

By Loan ViDietetic Intern

Introduction: Vietnamese spring roll (Gỏi cuốn) is a very popular appetizer in Vietnam that traditionally consist of pork, shrimp, and fresh vegetables wrapped in Vietnamese bánh tráng (rice paper) served with either peanut sauce or Vietnamese fish sauce for dipping. They are served at room temperature (or cooled) and are not deep fried or cooked on the outside. The meat (pork and shrimp) is usually cooked in boiling water. They can also be substituted with other meat such as fish and beef. Vegetarian Vietnamese spring roll is also common for the vegetarians. This guide will show how to properly make Vietnamese Veggie Spring Rolls that are easy and simple to make. All vegetables can be substitute to anyone’s preferences.

Before Starting Anything:Do Not Forget Sanitation!

Wash hands in warm water for 20 seconds.

Always wash hands in between if hands are contaminated.

Wash and sanitize prepping and cooking area.

Keep nails short and clean.

Put on hair net or tie hair back.

Wash all vegetables.

Ingredients List (For Rolls) Yields 6

1 seedless cucumber, cut into matchsticks

1 medium bell pepper (any color), cut into matchsticks

1 pack Rice Stick or Vermicelli noodles

6 spring roll papers

Ingredients List (Spring Roll Sauce)

1 tbsp. Hoisin Sauce1 tsp. Garlic Chili

Paste

Spring Roll Recipe Step 1: Cooking the Noodles

Boil about 4 quart of water in a pot. Put noodles in boiling water for about 2 minutes.Take noodles out. Rinse with cool water and let drain.

Note: There are many versions of Rice sticks and Vermicelli noodles. They come in different sizes and colors. Pick the type of noodles to one’s own preference. Cook noodles according to package direction. Rice stick is used in this typical recipe (picture above).

Spring Roll RecipeStep 2: Prepping the Veggies

Cut each vegetable into matchsticks.

Spring Roll RecipeStep 3: Gather All

Ingredients

Lay out the drained noodles, cut vegetables, and Spring roll wrappers next to each other. Have a big bowl of hot water next to the ingredients. The hot water is to soften the wrapper.

Spring Roll RecipeStep 4: The Rolling

Process

Take a piece of rice paper (use 2 for a chewier texture and better holding of ingredients) and soak in a bowl of hot water for about 2 seconds both sides. Note: The colder the water, the longer the soak, but no more than 5-7 seconds. The rice paper will get soften within 10 seconds so do not worry if it is still hard when taken out.

Place rice paper on a cleaned cutting board or flat area.

Place a small pinch of noodles near the bottom end of rice paper.

Add 2-3 pieces of cucumber as shown above.

Add 2-3 pieces of red bell pepper as shown above.

Gently pick up the bottom edge and cover the whole ingredients. Gently

tap down for it to stick.

Roll to halfway. Rice paper is sticky so just tap down for it to hold itself.

Gently fold both ends of the wrapper. The ends should touch the

ingredients.

Continue rolling until finished.

Spring Roll RecipeStep 5: Cutting Rolls &

Garnish(Optional) Cut the roll into 2 or 3 pieces. Plate them and garnish them with cilantro or green onions. Note: Spring

rolls, like all rice and rice products, will turn hard after a short amount of time when exposed to cold air. To preserve them, wrap them in a plastic ceramic wrap.

Spring Roll Sauce Recipe

For every 1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce, mix in 1 teaspoon of garlic chili paste. For a spicier taste, add more garlic chili paste. (Optional) Add a pinch of crushed peanuts to the sauce.

Another option: Mix in the two sauces in a saucepan and heated for until hot. Then add the crushed peanuts and stir for a few minutes.