Raw Spring Rolls (Nime Chow)
This wonderful salad in a rice paper wrapper is a standard feature in many southeast Asian cuisines. Often these have shrimp as well as vegetables. We thought that it should be possible to make a great vegan version. What we’ve done is to swap out the seafood with kimchi. This is actually not too great a cultural stretch, given that various spicy fermented cabbage dishes are found throughout the region – not just Korea. Don’t be concerned if your first few Nime Chow are not picture perfect; you’ll get the hang of rolling them after your first 4 or 5. And, they taste just as good, even if looking a bit unkempt. 1 ounce uncooked bean thread noodles Soak bean thread noodles in 2 cups of hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and cut into 2-inch lengths. Place cold water into a large shallow pan to a depth of 1 inch. Cut 4 of the rice paper sheets in half, leaving the remaining 8 whole. Place one whole and one half sheet in the pan of water and let soak until they have become flexible, no more than a minute. Remove sheets from water. Place the while sheet on a flat surface and lay the half sheet over the side nearest to you., lining up the edges. Place ¼ cup lettuce over the half sheet, levaing a ½ inch border around the outer edge. Arrange 1 tablespoon bean thread noodles, 2 tablespoons bean sprouts, 2 tablespoons kimchi and 3 Thai basil leaves over the lettuce. Roll up by first folding both sides over to make a straight side, and then rolling up from the bottom like a jelly roll. Be sure to roll as tight as possible without tearing the rice sheets to keep the fillings firm within the roll. Gently press together the final bit of bare rice paper to the outside of the rest of the roll. Lay seam side down on a serving plate and cover to keep from drying out. Repeat for the remaining 7 full sheets for a total of 8 rolls. Cut the rolls in half just before serving. Make the dipping sauce by heating the lime juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved. Whisk in the chile-garlic sauce and chopped peanuts. Place in shallow bowls and serve with the rolls. Archive |
 |
 |
 |