Refreshed! This is how I felt after having this…
Every time I had these rolls for appetizer at a Thai restaurant, I used to think of recreating that at home. After all the procrastination, it was yesterday that I finally decided to give it a whirl. It was my plan to make it a few weeks ago when I bought the rice papers, but it’s been sitting in my pantry almost forgotten.
To begin it all, I tired to recollect the taste of the summer rolls that I had eaten. I recalled the mild and fresh flavors. The dipping sauce was a key which complemented the rolls very well.
So, to add flavor to the chicken, I cooked it along with soy sauce and a few other ingredients. The rest of the ingredients for the filling were mainly fresh veggies which gave the rolls a colorful look and a refreshing flavor.
These rolls would captivate your taste buds with its subtle and wonderful flavors! Try them sometime.
Thai Summer Rolls
Ingredients
For cooking the chicken:
- Chicken breast, boneless- 2 breasts
- Soy sauce- 3 tbsp
- Rice wine vinegar- 1 1/2 tbsp
- Ginger-Garlic paste- 1 tsp
- Chili paste or Sambal- 1/2 tsp
- Water- 1/3 cup
For making the filling:
- Carrot, cut thin small- 1
- Red Pepper, cut thin small- 1
- Bok Choy or lettuce, chopped- 3 leaves
- Cooked Vermicelli noodles, cut small- 1 cup
- Roasted Sesame seeds- 1/4 cup
- Cilantro, chopped- 1 handful
- Soy Sauce- 1 tbsp
- Lime juice – 2 tbsp
- Ground pepper- 1/2 tsp
- Salt – to taste
To make the dipping sauce: Adapted from Tyler Florence
- Soy sauce- 2 tbsp
- Rice wine vinegar – 1/4 cup
- Fish sauce – 1tbsp
- Sambal or Chili paste- 1/2 tsp
- Garlic, minced – 1/2 tsp
- Lime juice – 2 tbsp
- Water- 1/3 cup
To make the Roll:
- Rice Paper
- Warm water, to soak the rice paper – taken in a deep flat pan
Instruction
- In a saucepan combine the chicken, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger-garlic paste, chili paste and water.
- Cook the chicken covering the pan with its lid until it has cooked well and all the water has dried up, dice the chicken small and keep aside.
- Cook the vermicelli noodles according to package instruction, drain water and chop small.
- In a large bowl, combine the above mentioned for “making the filling” ingredients and keep aside.
- For making the dipping: In a blender puree all the above mentioned “to make dipping” ingredients till smooth. Pour into a small bowl. This sauce is slightly spicy, if you want it less spicy adjust the amount of chili paste.
- Soaking the Rice Paper. Fill a deep flat pan with warm water.
- Take one rice paper and dip into the warm water for a few seconds till it gets soft.
- Don’t over soak the rice paper as it will fall apart.
- Take the paper out of the water, hold it for a few seconds to let the water drain, gently place it on a plate.
- Place 1-2 tbsp of filling onto one end of the soaked rice paper.
- Roll it over holding tight two times, fold in the left and right sides, then tuck and roll it over to close the till the other end.
- Place it on a platter and cover with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.
- Serve the rolls immediately along with the dipping sauce.
- If there is any leftover filling, you could have that as a fresh salad after drizzling it with some dipping sauce.
Tips:
- For a vegetarian version: Just skip the chicken from the filling and fish sauce from the dipping sauce.
- If you don’t have rice paper, just make the filling and have it as a salad ( after adding more cooked vermicelli noodles), it’s a very refreshing salad.
Thai Summer Roll - Not Fried
Ingredients
For cooking the chicken
- Chicken breast, boneless- 2 breasts
- Soy sauce- 3 tbsp
- Rice wine vinegar- 1½ tbsp
- Ginger-Garlic paste- 1 tsp
- Chili paste or Sambal- ½ tsp
- Water- ⅓ cup
For making the filling
- Carrot, cut thin small- 1
- Red Pepper, cut thin small- 1
- Bok Choy or lettuce, chopped- 3 leaves
- Cooked Vermicelli noodles, cut small- 1 cup
- Roasted Sesame seeds- ¼ cup
- Cilantro, chopped- 1 handful
- Soy Sauce- 1 tbsp
- Lime juice - 2 tbsp
- Ground pepper- ½ tsp
- Salt - to taste
To make the dipping sauce: Adapted from Tyler Florence
- Soy sauce- 2 tbsp
- Rice wine vinegar - ¼ cup
- Fish sauce - 1tbsp
- Sambal or Chili paste- ½ tsp
- Garlic, minced - ½ tsp
- Lime juice - 2 tbsp
- Water- ⅓ cup
To make the Roll
- Rice Paper
- Warm water, to soak the rice paper - taken in a deep flat pan
Instructions
- In a saucepan combine the chicken, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger-garlic paste, chili paste and water.
- Cook the chicken covering the pan with its lid until it has cooked well and all the water has dried up, dice the chicken small and keep aside.
- Cook the vermicelli noodles according to package instruction, drain water and chop small.
- In a large bowl, combine the above mentioned for "making the filling" ingredients and keep aside.
- For making the dipping: In a blender puree all the above mentioned "to make dipping" ingredients till smooth. Pour into a small bowl. This sauce is slightly spicy, if you want it less spicy adjust the amount of chili paste.
- Soaking the Rice Paper. Fill a deep flat pan with warm water.
- Take one rice paper and dip into the warm water for a few seconds till it gets soft.
- Don't over soak the rice paper as it will fall apart.
- Take the paper out of the water, hold it for a few seconds to let the water drain, gently place it on a plate.
- Place 1-2 tbsp of filling onto one end of the soaked rice paper.
- Roll it over holding tight two times, fold in the left and right sides, then tuck and roll it over to close the till the other end.
- Place it on a platter and cover with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.
- Serve the rolls immediately along with the dipping sauce.
- If there is any leftover filling, you could have that as a fresh salad after drizzling it with some dipping sauce.
