Rice Paper Rolls

Let me start by saying rice paper rolls are one of my absolute favourite things to put in my tummy. The crunchy-ness of the vegetables, the Asian flavours, the herbs, getting creative and trying new fillings, making them with friends, literally everything about rice paper rolls I love.
 
They make for a fun and healthy dinner or lunch to make with others or on your own. People seem to think they’re hard to make but honestly, they’re so easy to whip up.
 
As you’re reading this blog I assume you’re already convinced (or at least partly convinced) that rice paper rolls are a good idea so let’s get into the good stuff.
 
I’ve listed my standard go-to recipe for vegetarian and non-vegetarian rice paper rolls, as well as a list of other fillings you can add and my Asian inspired dipping sauce.

Vegetarian Rolls

Ingredients

• Red cabbage, finely sliced
• Beans (chopped into 3-4cm pieces)
• Carrots (julienne)
• Cucumber (julienne)
• Vermicelli (cooked in boiling water)
• Coriander or mint
• Fried onion (optional)

 
You can add any crunchy vegetables like bean sprouts, capsicum, snow peas, sugar snap peas... even avocado. Depending on what you feel like.  
 
Now to the fun part; rolling them!
Step one:
Fill a round dish/saucepan (big enough to fit a sheet of rice paper in) with two-centimeters of water
Step two:
Set up your rolling station with all pre-cut vegetables, cooked vermicelli, round dish/sauce pan, a wooden chopping board and a plate to put your finished rice paper rolls on. NOTE: to ensure your rice paper doesn’t stick to the surface you are rolling it on (the wooden chopping board), either wet the chopping board with some water or wet a clean tea-towel and place this on top of the board.

Step three:
Soak one sheet of rice paper for 15-20 seconds
Step four:
Place the soaked rice paper on the wet board/tea-towel and add fillings to about one third of the rice paper, towards the center and with the sides free (see photo’s). Make sure you don’t overfill as this can cause the rice paper to split.
Step five:
Tightly roll the rice paper over the fillings, then fold each side in and roll – see photo’s.
Step six:
Continue steps three to five to make more rice paper rolls until you’re all rolled out.
Step seven:
Enjoy your freshly made, vegetarian rice paper rolls (see dipping sauce ideas below)!

Non-Vegetarian Rolls
 
Ingredients

• Chicken thighs (marinated in soy, sesame oil, chilli, ginger and honey – cooked in coconut oil on a medium-high heat)
• Vermicelli
• Carrot (julienne)
• Avocado
• Coriander
• Fried onion
• Red onion
• Rocket

 
Once again, you can add whatever ingredients you feel like, this it just my go to rice paper recipe!
 
Use the same steps as outlined in the vegetarian rolls above.
 
You can enjoy your rice paper rolls with no sauce, with plain soy sauce, or you can try my Asian inspired dipping sauce that’s super easy to make.
 
Dipping sauce ingredients:

• Four tablespoons of soy sauce
• A few drops of sesame oil
• Grated ginger (to taste – I usually use about a thumb size piece as I LOVE ginger)
• Sliced chili (optional – amount of chili will depend on personal spice tolerance)

 
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and get dipping!

So! As I’ve said a few times, you really can put just about anything in these which is why they’re so amazing. I’m obviously a fan of Asian cuisine so I incorporate these flavours into my rice paper rolls but you can make yours however you like. Don’t get too scared about rolling these for the first time; I promise it’s not that hard! And, once you’ve rolled a few you’ll work out the right amount of ingredients and how you roll best.
 
You can keep these in the fridge for the next day, however the rice paper can harden a little bit so I wouldn’t recommend keeping them in the fridge for more than a day or two.
 
Now it’s your time to shine! Get rolling on your own or rollin’ with the homies (quote Brittany Murphy in Clueless).
 
Georgia x