Summer spring rolls + 2 dipping sauces

• Working with Rice Paper – easily available on Amazon, choose whatever size you want. I prefer 10 inches sheet which gives a 5-inch ready roll. Use a shallow dish to wet the rice paper sheet.
• Protein: Traditionally made with pork and prawns, you can pretty much add anything to the roll – chicken, pork, prawns, and even go even. You can use sliced pork, boneless chicken thighs, grilled prawns, and crunchy tofu or paneer. I prefer to stick to white meats for the rolls. Or tofu.
• Veggies: Ensure you cut your veggies thinly and lengthwise. Try to keep all the veggies the same width. Use crunchy and fresh ones, as they add the much-needed contrast with the soft rice paper.
• Noodles: Traditionally rice noodles are used, but you can use any thin variety available to you – thin ramen noodles or soba as well.
• Dips: Both the dips can be made ahead of time and they store well in the fridge in an air-tight container for about a week. Use some water to dilute it in case it gets too sticky. Both the peanut and hoisin sauces also make for really yummy dressing for salads later on.

Tips for making summer spring rolls

• Wet the chopping board you are going to be working on – preferable choose a silicon or plastic board. Wooden boards look aesthetic but also absorb water and your sheet is likely to stick to it.
• Start wetting the spring rolls only when all your ingredients and ready for your to roll. Leave the shoot on the board wet for more than 3-4 minutes and it will become just a sticky lump.
• Cool down your noodles in an ice bath and drain all the water before use.
• The same goes for the protein – bring it to room temperature before adding it to the rolls.

• Rice paper sheets – 10
• Glass noodles – 1-1/2 oz
• Carrots, sliced – 3/4 cup
• Purple cabbage, thinly sliced – 3/4 cup
• Bell pepper, mix of red and yellow, sliced – 1 cup
• Cucumber, sliced – 1 cup
• Mint leaves/ Fresh coriander leaves – a handful
• Shrimps – 30 small pieces (You can use chicken and tofu strips as well, check out the grilled chicken version here)
• Garlic – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Peri Peri spice mix – 1 tsp
• Sesame oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

Method

For the dips

• Hoisin dip – In a pan, add the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, garlic, and sesame oil. Put the pan on low heat, and add a few tablespoons of water while whisking the sauce constantly. Mix on low heat until desired consistency is reached. Dish out and top with sesame seeds.
• Peanut dip – In a small bowl, mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, and Thai sweet chilli sauce. Add the peanuts to a mixer along with the sauce mix, and blitz. Slowly add approximately 1/3 cup of water while blitzing until you reach desired consistency. Top with peanuts and sesame seeds.

Summer spring rolls with prawns

• Clean and devein the prawns. Marinate for 10 minutes with salt and peri-peri spice mix.
• Heat sesame oil in a pan, and add the garlic and shrimps together. You don’t want the garlic to burn or brown much, just fragrant and coating the prawns. Since shrimps won’t take long to cook at all, keep a close check. Cook on both sides for about 2 minutes and remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• In a shallow dish, wet the rice paper and place it on a wet chopping board.
• Your work area is the center, start by adding the veggies, then place the noodles over them. Place the prawns at a little distance and herbs a little further away. Roll like the video below.