Fresh spring rolls with tempura prawns - Vietnamese spring rolls
Recipe for fresh, crisp spring rolls with tempura prawns and vegetables.You can adjust the quantities depending on whether you serve the fresh spring rolls as a side or as a full meal. This quantity is enough for 8 sheets of rice paper / 8 Vietnamese spring rolls.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 8 sheets rice paper
- 16 torpedo prawns or tempura prawns ready-made battered prawns
- 2 small romaine lettuces (little gem)
- 1-2 carrots
- 1 pack mangetout or sugar snap peas
- 1 avocado
- 1 red pepper
To serve – suggested dips and toppings
- Sesame seeds
- Chopped peanuts
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Peanut sauce
- Soy sauce
Instructions
- Start by cooking the prawns.*I buy them ready-made and cook them as described on the packet. Most often they go in the air fryer, but they can also be cooked in a frying pan or in the oven.
- Prepare the vegetables, - cut the carrots, mangetout and pepper into thin strips, and slice the avocado.
- Rinse the lettuce thoroughly and make sure it is well dried. Halve the leaves and remove the coarsest part of the stalk.
- Dip the rice paper in a plate of cold water, one sheet at a time, – it only needs a quick dunk and straight back out. Let it drip off briefly and lay it on a clean surface, – the worktop, a chopping board or similar.*The moisture from the vegetables softens the rice paper while you make the fresh spring rolls. Personally, I find it becomes harder to work with if the rice paper is left in the water for 10-15 seconds as described on the packet.
- Place the filling across the middle of the rice paper, – a generous filling is lovely, but remember they need to close. Leave about 2 cm free of filling towards each side.*I like to put in 2 prawns and 2 avocado slices, – laid end to end. I do the same with a small handful of mangetout, carrot and pepper. I finish with 3-4 small lettuce leaves on top of the filling, – it makes them easier to roll.
- Now roll the rice paper around the filling. When you are about halfway, and the rice paper has just wrapped around the filling, fold in the ends and keep rolling until the spring roll is sealed.*Roll it tightly, but keep an eye on the rice paper so it doesn't tear – if it does, it is too tight.
- Place the finished rolls on a damp (not wet) tea towel, with another damp tea towel over them, until all the rolls are made.
- Trim the very ends so the rolls can stand upright, – and cut each roll into 3 pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with your favourite dip, chopped peanuts or similar.You can also halve the rolls and serve them lying flat rather than standing upright, – or the rolls can be made at the dinner table.