Ingredients

1. Medium prawns (peeled and deveined) - 20
2. Cooked rice vermicelli noodles - 1 cup
3. Round rice paper sheets (16 cm or 6" diameter) - 10 to 12
4. Fresh mint leaves - 1/4 cup
5. Fresh Thai basil leaves - 1/4 cup
6. Fresh coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
7. Medium cucumber (peeled, deseeded and cut into matchsticks) - 1
8. Small head of iceberg lettuce (washed and torn into strips) - 1

For additional taste

9. Roasted peanuts – 1/4 cup
10. Roasted Sesame seeds – 3 tbsp
11. Nam prik pao - as per requirement
12. Szechwan sauce - as per requirement
13. Peanut sauce - as per requirement

Method

1. Cut cucumber and carrot as match sticks, roast sesame seeds and peanuts on a dry pan and keep it aside, keep the herbs ready.
2. Boil some water in a medium saucepan. Add prawns/shrimp to boiling water, cook for 2min or until the prawns/shrimp turn pink.
3. Remove prawn/shrimp from water with a slotted spoon. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, cut prawn/shrimp lengthwise in half or you can use as it is.
4. Cook rice vermicelli according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside to cool.
5. Fill a large shallow bowl with warm water. Dip one wrapper into the water for 1 1seconds or until soften. The sheet may curl at the edges so try to flip it with your fingers when it does this. Gently remove sheet from water and drain on paper towel.
6. Place sheet on a clean work surface or a plate.
7. Lay wrapper on the bench and place 2 prawn full or halves, top layered with carrot sticks, cucumber sticks and few handful of noodles, basil, mint, and coriander leaves leaving about 5cm of the wrapper uncovered on each side.
8. Shape the filling into a compact log and ensure that you leave about 1" of space at the top and bottom.
9. Fold the bottom end of the rice paper over the top of the mixture and then roll into a cylinder.
10. Fold in uncovered sides of wrapper and then tightly roll to enclose the filling. Repeat with remaining rolls.
11. The other one is first prawns, noodles, peanut sauce, carrot, cucumber, peanuts and sesame seeds arranged in order. You can arrange as you per your taste and liking.
12. In the other, noodles first, prawns, cucumber, carrot, herbs and any sauce on top. You can view in the picture with different toppings.
13. Repeat until all ingredients are used.
14. Turn the roll so that the closing part faces down and the row of shrimp faces up. Place it on a serving plate and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and fillings. Leave 3/4 inch between each summer roll on the sheet so they don’t stick together.
15. If not serving immediately, keep the summer rolls tightly covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
16. Serve Vietnamese egg paper rolls with the peanut sauce or any dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

17. Dark soya sauce – 2tsp
18. Lemon or lime juice – 11/2tbsp to 2tbsp
19. Onion or shallots – 1tbsp
20. Carrot – 1tbsp
21. Cucumber – 1tbsp
22. Red chilli – 1tsp
23. Sugar – 1/2tsp

Method

24. Mix soya sauce, sugar, lime juice until sugar is dissolved, add other ingredients, you can add little water to dilute.

Notes

1. Soak rice paper one at a time, fill the stuffing , roll and keep it aside then soak another rice paper.
2. After soaking, handle rice paper carefully as it can tear or damage.
3. Rice paper is transparent, so place the thing first, which you want to be seen first.
4. I have also used a slice of omelete for stuffing.