Vegetarian Vietnamese Cold Rolls.

Yes, you're right. It's not yeasty, it's just tasty goodness.

Fear not - I have not become of that strange fraternity - "The Vegtarians". I was just looking for a fast and tasty alternative while making dinner the other evening.

Alternative to what? Vegetables. I'm becoming a little bored with certain kinds of vegie dishes and wanted to mix it up.

In short, it's tasty, fast and fun.

If you're into serving food that is delicate and complete, you can assemble these prior to serving. Something that's more fun is for everyone to assemble their own at the table.

Sorry, no pics this time. My hands were wet and busy mostly as I was making the evening meal.

Here's the recipe to make only 8 pieces. You can scale it up quite easily as eight is really only enough for two people as part of a meal.

The roll and filling:

• 1 small carrot (15 x 2 m), peeled and julienned
• Bean shoots
• 1 medium Chinese Shallot
• 15 g finely chopped mint (Vietnamese mint is preferable, but spearmint or common mint can suffice)
• 30 g finely chopped coriander leaves (it's OK to leave the stems in if you like)
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, thinly sliced then chopped in thirds
• Vietnamese fish sauce to taste
• Packet of rice paper sheets.

The dipping sauce:

• 15 ml squid sauce (like fish sauce, but much milder)
• 5 ml line juice
• 10 ml Thai sweet chilli sauce.

Toss all ingredients together for the roll (except the rice paper you ninny!) and allow to sit for about thirty minutes in the fridge. This will help draw off some of the excess moisture.

While that is happening, make the dipping sauce. The recipe above is not hard and fast. You can adjust any or all of the ingredients to suit your own taste. I tend to increase the lime juice by 50% and add a freshly chopped peri-peri / bird eye chilli as I like a bit more bite

To assemble, pour some cool water into a wide shallow dish so that you can easily wet the whole paper in one go. Slide a paper in, wiggle it for a couple of seconds, remove and shake off the excess moisture. It will feel slightly firm as you being to fill and roll it, but trust me - it will be soft and limp and tasty in no time flat. Do it one at a time and assemble each one, one at a time. You can't pre-wet all the wraps or you will end up with a gooey mess. 

Add a spoonful of the mixture to the wet rice paper about one third in from the edge. Roll.

Dip.

Eat.

Repeat.

Enjoy.


And remember, "vegetarian" is Australian for "shitty hunter".


Cheers!!