That’s the beauty of couchsurfing: getting to know locals in their own environment allows for a deeper experience. Spending a couple of days in Thao’s place in Nha Trang, Vietnam, we had the chance to try home-made spring rolls. And make them with friends it’s real fun.
The delicate rice paper makes these lighter and crispier than Chinese-style spring rolls. The mint and lettuce leaves add a fresh , fragrant taste.
INGREDIENTS (4 serves):
50g cellophane (mung bean) noodles
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
250g pork mince or sliced tofu
1 carrot, peeled, coarsely grated
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon of fish sauce
2 teaspoons of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
20 round rice paper sheets
Baby lettuce and fresh mint leaves.
DIRECTIONS:
Cook noodles, tofu and mushrooms for 10 minutes in boiling water. Drain and squeeze to remove the water in excess. Slice the mushrooms and cut tofu and noodles. Toss them with carrots and shallots cut into julienne strips and flavor with garlic, fish sauce, sugar and pepper.
Soak one rice paper sheet in warm water until soft and pliable. Place one heaped tablespoonful of the noodle mixture along the centre of the sheet. Fold in the sides and roll up tightly to enclose the filling, getting a thumb-size roll. Deep fry for 2-3 minutes until golden.
Serve it with lettuce and mint leaves and deep into the nuoc cham sauce.
TIPS TO OTHER LONGITUDES: To make the nuoc cham, place fish sauce, chili, garlic, water, lime juice, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl, and stir until the sugar dissolves.