Amanda Laird: Vietnamese rice paper rolls with roasted peanut dipping sauce

Vietnamese rice paper rolls with roasted peanut dipping sauce. Picture / Babiche Martens

Makes 12

12 rice paper sheets
1 cup soaked rice vermicelli, cut into short lengths
6 dried shitake mushrooms
2 small carrots, peeled and julienned
1 stick of celery, julienned
Cooked prawns, pork or chicken, sliced (optional)
Iceberg lettuce leaves, rinsed
1 cucumber, peeled if necessary, de-seeded and julienned
Oil for frying

Roasted peanut dipping sauce

2 Tbsp caster sugar
1/2 cup cold water
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
Finely diced red chilli
2 Tbsp peanuts, roasted and finely chopped

1. Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes, squeeze excess water and slice finely.

2. Reserve half the carrot for later. Mix remaining carrot, celery, vermicelli and prawns or meat if used in a bowl with the mushrooms. Dip one rice paper sheet in a bowl of warm water for a moment then lay on a dry surface. When it has softened, place a spoonful of mixture on the side nearest to you, fold in the sides and roll the paper to enclose the filling. Repeat until mixture has finished.

3. Heat oil in a fry pan and shallow fry rolls in batches, drain on paper towels and serve with the cucumber, reserved carrot and lettuce leaves for wrapping, and sauce for dipping. For the sauce, simmer sugar, water, fish sauce, lime juice and chilli stirring until sugar has dissolved then add peanuts and pour into small bowls.