Artemis Fowl and The Eternity Code; Vegetarian Spring Rolls

Butler prepared them a meal. Nothing fancy. Vegetarian spring rolls, followed by mushroom risotto with creme caramel to finish. Mulch opted for a bucket of diced worms and beetles, sauteed in a rainwater and moss vinaigrette.

-Artemis Fowl and The Eternity Code, Eoin Colfer

Chả giò. Lumpia. Chungwon. Loempia. Vårrullar. Sajgonki. Rollito de primavera. Arrollado Primavera.

So many names for that perfect bite of deep fried goodness. The spring roll. Personally, I love mine vegetarian, and absolutely dosed in sweet chili sauce. Double dipping is compulsary. Heck, make that triple dipping.

And after making them fresh at home, your local chinese takeaway restaurant will seem piddly in comparision. Once you get into a rhythm of spooning, folding and rolling, it gets easier. I made more than needed, but popped them into the fridge. They loose their crispiness overnight, but those leftover spring rolls will look pretty enticing round lunch time.

Artemis Fowl and The Eternity Code; Vegetarian Spring Rolls

 

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Ingredients

• a 100g packet of vermicelli noodles
• 1 tbsp of peanut oil
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 large carrot or 3-4 baby carrots, peeled and grated
• 1½ cups shredded Chinese cabbage (check out this picture if you aren't sure what you're looking for. I know I didn't!)
• 1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• ¼ pepper
• 20 spring roll wrappers, thawed (found in frozen section of grocery store)
• frying oil (vegetable)
• sweet chilli sauce for dipping sauce

Instructions

1. Before cooking the noodles, break the 'roll' of noodles into four pieces, then cover with boiling water in a large bowl. Cover until soft, then drain.
2. Next, in a wok (or a large frying pan), heat up the peanut oil until hot. Add in the spring onions, garlic, grated carrot and cabbage. Cook until soft. Toss in the noodles, water chestnuts, soy and pepper, stir until combined, then set aside to cool.
3. Follow the instructions in the blog from Zaiqa.net on how to roll a spring roll correctly. Having images always helps!
4. Have a small bowl of cold water next to your work space for wetting the edges, and cover the extra wrappers with a damp teatowel.
5. Take one wrapper and turn it so a corner faces you. Take one tablespoon of the stir fried mixture and place it in a row horizontally close to the corner near you. Wet the edges of the wrapper, fold the corner closest to you up, fold the left and right corners inwards, then roll it together.
6. Complete all the other wrappers, keeping them covered with a damp teatowel as well.
7. When all the wrappers are filled and rolled, heat a wok a large saucepan with vegetable oil in, about one -third full. To test if oil is hot, take a tear of bread and drop it into the oil. It'll sizzle and bubble.
8. Cook spring rolls a few at a time, for 1-2 minutes, until golden. Pull out and keep warm in an oven set on the lowest temperature or 'keep warm'. Once all are cooked, remove them and serve with the sweet chilli sauce.

Notes

recipe adapted from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/411/vegetable+spring+rolls

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