Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Nuoc Cham

(not my picture)

This is one of those things I had in a restaurant some years ago for the first time, and I sat at the table scribbling a list of ingredients on a paper napkin. Since then I've made these spring rolls dozens of times - especially for Saturday lunch. I'm guessing not very many people have tried them, particularly at home, but they're dead easy. The only real effort is in chopping everything up. One pack of wraps from the Chinese grocer will last you ages.

INGREDIENTS

• Rice paper / tapioca wraps
• Cooked prawns, or pork - done spicy is extra good
• Spring onions - shredded
• Carrot - shredded
• Mint roughly chopped
• Peanuts - crushed
• Cucumber - small spears
• Lettuce (optional)
• Nori (sushi seaweed sheet chopped) (optional)
• Coriander (optional)

Gather together all your chopped ingredients in piles on a large plate.
I have a Tupperware with 8 compartments which is ideal.

            

SAUCE
If you don't want to bother making one, you can use a bought one. That orange coloured Thai chili garlic sauce also works well. This is a traditional Nuoc Cham, which is lovely. Just stir together:

• Lime juice 2 tbs
• Fish sauce 2 tbs
• Rice vinegar or white vinegar 1 tbs
• Palm sugar to taste
• Minced garlic - about 2 tsp
• Red chili - 1 small, fine copped
• Shredded carrot - 1 tbs
• Spring onion - 1 fine chopped
• Water - dilute a little to taste

METHOD

1. When the sauce is done and everything is chopped and ready, fill a wide bowl with hot water.
2. You are now ready to soak a wrapper 'til soft, then fill it with a little of each of the fillings. I like a little bit of sauce inside too.
3. Fold once, fold-in the sides, and roll shut.

If it gets a bit messy use a knife and fork.