Vegetarian Spring Rolls

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For a lovely dinner party starter, canapés or a platter with friends, try one, two or all three of these easy Asian dishes. You can mix and match or play around with herbs and fillings.

Great to make in large batches and freeze too.

NB: You’ll find my recipe for Crispy Bottom Pork & Prawn Dumplings under ‘Starters and Canapes’, and the quick and delicious Prawn Balls recipe is in my latest book – Union Jax (P124) – If you don’t have a copy already, check out the Shop!

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

100g vermicelli noodles
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1/2 carrot, finely sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp soy sauce
100g mung beans
Handful mint, chopped
Handful coriander, chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce (more to taste)
Pinch white pepper
2 tsps cornflour
8 defrosted spring roll wrappers
Vegetable oil for flying
Sweet chilli sauce or roasted sesame sauce for dipping

Instructions

Pop your noodles in a heatproof bowl. Boil the jug and pour the water over the noodles until they are submerged. Leave for about 3 mins, drain and set aside.  If they are really long, chop them in half.

In a large frying pan pour both oils, add the garlic and ginger and cook gently until fragrant.  Add the carrots and onions, toss in the oil and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until well combined and just tender.

Add the soy sauce, cook for a minute then remove from the heat and add the noodles, mung beans, chopped herbs and fish sauce.  Toss gently making sure everything gets well combined.

Taste and add the pepper and a dash more fish sauce if need be.

In a small bowl mix the cornflour with about 1 tbsp cold water.  Pop a wrapper on your bench with a corner pointing towards you. Brush with the cornflour mixture, place a spoonful of mixture in a corner, fold over and roll away from you, folding the edges in and making a tight little package.

Repeat with remaining mixture and wrappers.

Pour oil into a saucepan and heat until a piece of bread browns in 30 seconds. Cook your rolls in batches, keep turning them so they cook until they are golden all over. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve hot with dipping sauce.