Summer Rolls
129 days ago
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These Summer Rolls look impressive and are extremely easy to make. As for the flavor, there’s nothing like it. The fresh ingredients in the rolls, combined with an out-of-this-world peanut dipping sauce, make for the perfect bite each time.
Making the Dipping Sauce
The peanut dipping sauce is a must-have for this recipe, which is courtesy of our friends at New York Kitchen. It’s not a complete dish without it. The sauce is nutty and fragrant thanks to the ground peanuts, peanut butter and two types of curry paste. Rounding out the sauce ingredients is sesame oil, a cinnamon stick, coconut milk, white vinegar and sugar.
When it comes to the curry, the panang is a bit more spicy and bold, whereas the masaman is milder and sweeter. Blending the two brings layers of curry flavor to the sauce.
The Vegetables
The vegetables for these Summer Rolls are cut thin. Julienne the cucumber, red pepper and carrot using a 7″ Santoku knife.
The rest of the ingredients for the filling include bean thread noodles seasoned with rice vinegar, basil leaves and romaine lettuce leaves. Layer them each onto a prepared rice paper.
Carefully roll the rice paper up tightly around the filling. After rolling halfway, fold in the sides and continue rolling.
Place the Summer Rolls on a dish and cover with a damp towel until ready to serve.
Serving the Summer Rolls
The Summer Rolls are as tasty as they are beautiful. If you want to serve them cut in half, the Salmon Knife with its thin flexible blade glides through the delicate rice paper and layers of filling to create perfect halves.
Serve them alongside the peanut dipping sauce and get ready for perhaps the best thing you’ve ever tasted.
About New York Kitchen:
New York Kitchen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses the stories of agriculture, food and craft beverage to inspire creative exploration to educate, excite and engage the world in a celebration of the incredible bounty of New York State. The mission is driven forward through educational hands-on cooking and craft beverage pairing classes and programs, industry certifications and professional development, Junior Chefs camps and Youth Summit, and a 100% New York State Tasting Room.
Ingredients
For the peanut dipping sauce:
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons masaman curry paste (or similar brand)
- 2 teaspoons panang curry paste
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 can (13.5-ounce) coconut milk
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup ground peanuts
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
For the summer rolls:
- 3.5 ounces bean thread noodles (cellophane noodles)
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
- Salt, to taste
- 4 (8-inch) rice paper wraps, plus additional in case some tear
- 8 fresh basil leaves (can substitute mint leaves)
- 4 romaine lettuce leaves
- 1/2 carrot, julienned
- 1/2 cucumber, julienned
- 1 red pepper, julienned
Directions
Make the peanut dipping sauce:
- In a medium sauce pan over low heat, add oil then masaman and panang curry pastes. Stir to combine.
- Add whole cinnamon stick and cook over low heat.
- Slowly add the coconut milk and stir until smooth.
- Stir in white vinegar, sugar, ground peanuts and peanut butter. Be sure to scrape bottom of pan. Continue to heat and stir until the sauce is smooth and well blended.
- Set aside at room temperature.
- Remove cinnamon stick before serving.
Make the summer rolls:
- Cover noodles with hot water and soak 15 minutes, then drain well in a sieve. Pat dry between paper towels and toss with vinegar and salt to taste.
- Put a double thickness of damp paper towels on a work surface, and fill a shallow baking pan with warm water. Soak 1 rice paper round (make sure there are no holes) in warm water until pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute, then transfer to paper towels.
- On the end of the rice paper wrapper that is closest to you, arrange the basil then the lettuce, noodles, carrot, cucumber and pepper.
- Roll up the rice paper tightly around the filling and, after rolling halfway, fold in the sides and continue rolling. Transfer summer roll to a plate and cover with dampened paper towels.
- Make 3 more rolls in same manner, repeating steps 2 through 4.
- Serve with peanut dipping sauce.
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