Recipes

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Thai Spring Rolls

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs
Today is Sunday and despite the fact that we have been experiencing 100 degree weather for almost a week now, I decided to go to the market today and prepare something for Sunday lunch. We eat almost the same thing every day due to my Dad's restricted diet but it gets to you after some time no matter how healthy one's daily diet is. Knocking my brains for something to cook, I had to dig through my remaining cookbooks and settled for something simple, a spring roll dish.

I know I have featured several versions of spring rolls in my blog but this one is actually quite unusual. This roll is inspired by the flavors of Thailand and is a bit interesting in the sense that you add rice noodles into the filling mixture. It may have been added as an extender but the taste is quite good and actually blends well with all the other flavors. I actually have a Vietnamese-inspired version but that will have to wait for another day.

Thai Spring Rolls - Adapted*

1 lb ground pork
3-4 oz dried shitake mushrooms
3-4 oz bean thread noodles
3-4 carrots, shredded
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
salt
white pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil + more for frying
30-40 spring roll wrapper

1. In one cup of hot water, reconstitute the mushrooms until soft. Spoon out
    the mushrooms and slice into thin slivers. Reserve the liquid.

2. In a large pan, heat the oil at medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and
    cook until softened. Season with salt.

3. Add the pork and cook until it loses its pink color. Season with salt and a
    pinch of white pepper.

4. Add the mushrooms and the reconstitution liquid and bring to a boil. Add
    the noodles and the fish sauce if using and cook until the noodles are
    softened. Add water if necessary.

5. Add the carrots and mix well. Check for flavor and adjust accordingly. Let
    cool for about 5 minutes.

6. Cut the noodles into 3-4 inch lengths and add the green onions. Mix well.

7. Fill each spring roll wrapper with 2 tbsp filling and secure the edge by
    moistening with water.

8. Fry the rolls in a preheated oil at medium heat until golden brown. Serve
    hot with either ketchup or sweet chili sauce.

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKitchen blogs
You can serve these rolls as an appetizer or paired with a salad. I personally prefer to eat these as a main dish with rice but either way, I can guarantee that you will be addicted to these little morsels. My nephew actually gave me the idea of serving the rolls on a bed of lettuce sliced in half as a starter course. Having gone to cooking school, he has learned the basic techniques in terms of cooking although he still needs to refine his skills. He tends to add hot peppers in almost anything which is definitely a zinger if you perchance bit into one.

* Chikiamco, N.: Editor, The Best of Food Magazine, ABS-CBN Publishing, Quezon City, 2001.     
 

No comments:

Post a Comment