Curry Vegetarian Spring Rolls
Category
Class Recipes
Here is a delightful vegetarian version of Thai spring rolls. They make a perfect starter for a Thai meal or can be served with drinks for a large crowd.
Ingredients
- 1 cup mushrooms
- 2 carrots
- 4 oz tinned bamboo shoots
- 1 small zucchini
- 2 celery stalks
- 2-3 green onions
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
- 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2–3 tablespoons plain flour
- 2–3 tablespoons water
- 1 packet small rice paper wrappers
- 14 oz favorite cooking oil
DIPPING SAUCE
- 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried chili powder or flakes
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Peel and cut the carrots into 5 cm (2 in) long, fine strips. Cut the bamboo shoots and zucchini into 2 in fine strips also. Finely slice the celery, green onions and mushrooms.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until it is hot. Add the 1½ tablespoons of oil, and when it is very hot and slightly smoking, add the garlic and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Then add the carrots and stir-fry for another minute. Now add the remaining vegetables, the soy sauce, red curry paste, and black pepper and stir-fry the mixture for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh cilantro. Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly.
- In a small bowl, mix the flour and water together into a paste.
- When you are ready to make the spring rolls, fill a large bowl with warm water. Dip one of the rice paper rounds in the water and let it soften. Remove and drain it on a linen towel. Put about 2 tablespoons of the filling on the softened wrapper. Fold in each side and then roll it up tightly. Seal the ends with a little of the flour-paste mixture. You should have a roll about 7.5cm (3 in) long, a little like a small sausage.
- Repeat the procedure until you have used up all the filling.
- Heat the remaining oil in a deep-fat fryer or a large wok until it is hot. Deep-fry the spring rolls, a few at a time, until golden brown. They have a tendency to stick to each other at the beginning of the frying, so only fry a few at a time. Do not attempt to break them apart during frying: you can do this after they are removed from the oil. Drain them on kitchen paper. Serve at once with the dipping sauce.
- This sauce may be made well ahead of time. Combine all the ingredients together in a blender, mixing them thoroughly. Let the mixture sit at least 10 minutes before using.