Introduction
Spring rolls are a delicious and healthy way to enjoy your favorite ingredients. They’re also very easy to make! You can use whatever vegetables you like, but I recommend carrots, cabbage and shrimp.
- rice paper
- 2 cups cooked shrimp, cut into pieces
- 1/2 head cabbage, sliced into strips
- 1/2 red pepper
- 1 cup carrots
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
- fresh cilantro leaves
Ingredients
- Rice paper (also called rice paper wrappers)
- Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Cabbage, shredded
- Red pepper, sliced thin or diced small
- Carrots, grated or thinly sliced (or both!)
rice paper
- Rice paper is used to wrap spring rolls. It’s made from rice flour and can be found in the refrigerated section at your local Asian grocery store.
- The best way to roll a spring roll is by getting a small plate and placing the wrapper on the plate so that it’s centered and flat. Then place some filling across from one side of the wrapper until it reaches about halfway down, then fold over that side like an envelope flap. Do this for both sides (right-side over left-side). If you want, you can dip your fingers in water before touching them as this will help prevent sticking!
2 cups cooked shrimp, cut into pieces
To prepare shrimp, begin by deveining the shrimp. Place each peeled and cleaned shrimp on a cutting board and use a paring knife to make small cuts along the back of each shrimp. This will allow you to remove the black vein that runs down its center. The best way to do this is with an angle cut from top to bottom, but replace your left hand’s index finger with another paring knife held in your right hand (the backside of your index finger should be facing away from you). Then, just pull out that vein!
The next step is to cut up your deveined and de-blackened shrimp into little pieces—this way they’ll blend into any sweet/sour sauce nicely without being overpowering themselves. It’s easiest if you chop everything up before adding it into whatever recipe you’re making—so if possible try using pre-cooked frozen shrimp or defrosted shell-on fresh ones so they don’t take up too much time while cooking. Shell-on fresh ones tend not need much prep work at all; just remove their shells prior to cooking them whole or steaming them whole until cooked through (about eight minutes).
1/2 head cabbage, sliced into strips
1/2 head cabbage, sliced into strips
1/2 carrot, shredded
1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin slices
1/2 red pepper, sliced into strips
- Slice the red pepper into strips. Use a sharp knife to remove the stem and seeds from each pepper, then slice it thinly into strips. If you’re not sure how thick to make them, roll up a piece of paper into a straw and insert it in one edge of your sliced pepper. You want your finished rolls to be around 2 inches wide or so; if they’re too big or small, adjust what you’re cutting accordingly.*
1 cup carrots, shredded
How to Shred Carrots:
- Wash and peel the carrots, then cut them into small pieces. Carrots are best when they’re no longer than 4 inches long, so make sure to cut them accordingly.
- Use a box grater or food processor to shred the carrots evenly into fine shreds of about 1/8 inch thickness (about two seconds in the food processor). You can also use a mandoline for this step if you want an extra-fine shave—it’s up to you!
- Measure out 1 cup of shredded carrots and store in an airtight container until ready to use in your recipe!
1 cup fresh mint leaves
Mint leaves are used in a variety of Asian dishes, including spring rolls and Indian curries. They’re also very popular in the United States as an herb to use with meals or drinks.
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
Now that you’ve got your basil leaves, it’s time to clean them. Rinse them under cold water, then pat dry with a paper towel.
You can store the leaves in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
fresh cilantro leaves
Cilantro is one of the ingredients that you will use to add freshness and flavor to your spring rolls. Cilantro is an herb that comes from the coriander plant family. Cilantro leaves are very mild and have a bit of a citrus-like fragrance, but they also have a strong taste that may be too overpowering for some people.
Cilantro is used in Asian, Mexican and Indian cooking as well as salads and soups. Because cilantro tastes so good with food, it’s often added directly into soups or stews like curry (a traditional Indian dish).
It’s very easy to make Spring rolls.
Making spring rolls is a fun way to eat raw vegetables and fresh herbs. They’re also a great way to get creative with leftovers, since you can add just about anything you have in your kitchen. And since they’re so easy to make, it’s hard not to try making them more than once!
We’ll take you through the steps of preparing and rolling spring rolls in this tutorial, but first let’s talk ingredients:
Conclusion
Spring rolls are a delicious and healthy snack to enjoy with your friends and family. They are easy to make and require only a few ingredients that you probably already have at home. These tasty treats will go great with any meal, so be sure to keep them around when guests come over!