I’m always stoked to find a recipe that has me (happily) eating fresh, healthy vegetables! And summer rolls put the fun into healthy (heck, even the name makes you feel good!). I love the contrast between the tastes and textures – it’s a true sensory experience! And can I say.. rice paper wrappers are a revelation – the transformation from stiff and starchy to soft and gelatinous is just too delicious for words!
Thanks to New Zealand cook, Nadia Lim, for this recipe. I really liked the combination of fruit, veges, herbs and spices, not to mention the crunchy addition of nuts. Of course, you can sub in whatever you like, or whatever’s in season. For instance, I couldn’t find mango anywhere (hate it when that happens), so I used rock melon instead which was a nice alternative. And while the original recipe called for prawns, I actually preferred having smaller (and therefore more) shrimps. Oh, and by the way, it’s easy enough to reduce the recipe without getting the calculator out. I wanted to make some rolls just for myself, so figured if I quartered the recipe (roughly speaking) it’d be about right. I didn’t bother weighing anything at all and it was totally fine.
So, if you’re like me and haven’t tried these before (or maybe I’m the only one!), give them a go. They’re fun to make, healthy for you (kids will love ’em), and extremely moreish! Enjoy.
Shrimp & Avocado Summer Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp neutral tasting oil
- 400-500 g raw shrimps or shelled prawns
- 2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped (or lemongrass paste, to taste)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
To assemble
- 20 large sheets rice paper wrappers
- 1 large ripe mango, peeled and thinly sliced (or, if unavailable, melon is a nice alternative)
- 2 firm, ripe avocados, sliced
- ½ cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds removed and sliced into thin 4cm-long batons
- 1 red capsicum, cored and cut into thin strips (I used marinated, roasted pepperdews)
- ½ cup roasted peanuts, finely chopped
- 1 cup fresh coriander, cilantro, chopped
Sweet chilli and lime dipping sauce
- 4 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1-2 Tbsp soy sauce or fish sauce, to taste
Instructions
- Pat prawns dry with paper towels and season with salt. Heat oil in a wok or large fry pan on high heat and cook prawns, lemongrass and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until prawns are just cooked through. Set aside to cool.
- When ready to assemble spring rolls, place a clean damp tea towel flat on the bench. Soak 1-2 sheets of rice paper in a shallow dish of warm water at a time for 20-30 seconds. Carefully transfer to clean damp flat tea towel.
- Place a slice of mango, avocado, cucumber and capsicum in the centre of the rice paper (you’ll soon get the feel for how much you need, but at the beginning try not to overfill). Top with several shrimps (or 1-2 prawns), sprinkle over a few peanuts and some coriander. To roll the wrappers, fold the bottom half of the rice wrapper over the filling, then fold in edges and roll wrapper up (don’t be too hung up about how to do this; so long as the food is contained, you’re good!). Transfer to a serving plate with the seam side down.
- Combine all dipping sauce ingredients. Serve summer rolls with a bowl of dipping sauce on the side. Grab a roll, dip it into the sauce and go for it!
These look great! I really like the idea of the doctored up sweet chili sauce! Sounds delish.
Totally is! And thanks!
These summer rolls look delicious.. definitely perfect for the hot summer here in Australia. Great recipe!
Absolutely.. and our ‘almost hot’ summer in New Zealand!