Vietnamese Spring Rolls

It's been incredibly muggy in Philly lately, and I really can't get myself to eat much in the heat. However, in times like these, there is always one meal that I know I can always fall back on - Vietnamese spring rolls! Whoever thought of the concept of rice paper rolls is seriously a genius. These things are so convenient; they last forever dried in your cupboard, and the moment you want to eat them, you just dip them in water and turn them into a clear, versatile Asian tortilla. Props to you, ancient smart Vietnamese entrepreneur!

So back to my epic supermarket adventures. This past Sunday, I got my friend to drive me once again to the local H-mart Korean grocery store. It was a monstrosity of a place (as are most Korean supermarkets), and I almost couldn't control myself as I wandered in awe around the aisles. I don't think I've seen anything so grand in the way of supermarkets since I left the H-mart in San Diego more than a year ago. As you may have guessed, I had a lot of fun in there.

I've made Viet spring rolls for this blog before, but that was a while ago, and I think my photography has improved a bit since then. It's interesting to compare old blog posts with new ones and see the differences that have accumulated over time.


Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

For the filling

-1 head romaine lettuce, ribs removed

-1 large cucumber, cut into matchsticks

-Mint leaves

-Pickled carrots and daikon (see below)

-Vermicelli

-Spring roll wrappers

-1 large shallow pan of water

-Shrimp (about 3 per spring roll), boiled and drained
-Nuoc Cham dipping sauce

1. Dip a wrapper briefly in the pan of water. It is okay if the wrapper is still stiff to the touch; as long as it is dampened, it will soften. 

2. Arrange ingredients in the wrapper as you desire; with the lettuce on the outside. Place these ingredients off to one side of the wrapper before you fold. 

For the pickles:

-1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

-1 pound radish, cut into matchsticks

-1 cups distilled white vinegar

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 cup + 1 tsp sugar

-1 cup water

1. Mix the radish and carrots with salt and let sit for about 5 minutes. This will remove the liquid from the vegetables. 

2. Drain the carrots and radish. 

3. Mix with the other ingredients and serve!