A popular appetizer that can be found in most Vietnamese restaurants, a Vietnamese spring roll is a dish consisting of pork, prawn, vegetables, rice vermicelli and other ingredients wrapped in banh trang or rice paper.
It is served fresh at room temperature and not fried like Chinese spring rolls.
This dish also can be part of healthy diet for those who are looking for something with protein, lots of fresh vegetables and low in carbs.
But if you are looking for a fresh new idea to host a party at home, how about throwing a Vietnamese spring roll party for your guests?
It is a fun way to get your friends to gather round the table and DIY their own spring roll while catching up with each other.
Moreover, your guests who are watching out for their weight would not feel guilty feasting during the party.
With easy to prepare ingredients, here is how to throw a Vietnamese spring roll party at home:
1.First of all, you must have rice paper
Vietnamese rice papers are so easily available these days especially at supermarkets.
There are two types of rice paper that are commonly found in stores. The common one is the white rice paper made from white rice.
If you prefer brown rice over white, there is also brown rice paper for you to choose.
2.Prepare your protein
There are various meat fillings for Vietnamese spring roll. Typically, you can prepare pork slices and shrimp.
Other meats include fish, squid, beef, tofu and sausages.
If you are having a barbecue at home, laying down some extra ingredients for Vietnamese spring roll is definitely a good idea. Just toss some of those freshly grilled meat into your rolls.
3.Slice up your vegetables
Vietnamese spring rolls cannot go without fresh vegetables.
It is the freshness of these veggies that add different textures to your spring rolls.
Make use of your knife skill and slice up plenty of vegetables before your guests arrive.
You can chop up some carrots, cucumber, bell pepper or cabbage julienne-style.
On top of that, you can also prepare some herbs such as coriander, basil or mint to add extra flavour into the rolls.
4.Remember your rice noodles
Now, it is time to prepare some carbs. Boil ahead rice vermicelli according to the instructions.
Take note that different brands of rice noodles have different cooking time.
Watch out for the time so that you can cook your noodle to perfection.
5.Finally, spice them up with a variety of condiments
Vietnamese spring roll can be served with peanut sauce or other types of dipping sauces.
The simplest way to make the traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce is to add in some lime juice (or vinegar) into one part fish sauce, one part sugar and two parts water.
Other sauces that are perfect for these rolls are hoisin sauce and sweet Thai chilli sauce.
Recipes for these dipping sauces can be found online and the ingredients to make them are usually very simple.
