Google: “In the food industry, there is a edible, thin, starchy paper which is used to wrap Vietnamese finger foods. Often times this food wrapping paper is referred to as rice paper, or nem wrappers. This paper can be made from rice starch, but other ingredients such as tapioca starch, milk, and bananas can be added for flavour and texture.”

Today I found the rice paper wrap in packet. There are about 50 sheets. Since I have leftover of choko minced pork. I decided to use it instead of the real Vietnamese style ingredients of rice paper rolls: rice paper sheets, vermicelli rice noodles, vegetables such as carrot, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprouts. Fresh herbs such as mint, coriander, and Thai basil. Protein such as chicken, pork, cooked prawns, beef and tofu. Fresh chilli, this one certainly isn’t for everyone and is always an optional addition but for me is a must have.

I have attached the choko minced pork recipe below. To it I have vermicelli, pickled shredded carrots, chili and hoisin sauces, coriander, cooked prawns and dipping sauce with cut chilies in it. Though they are uneven in size, taste wise i’s delicious, finger licking and appetising to eat. Let’s cook the ingredients first then wrap them into a nice roll!!!

Ingredients

Choco minced pork

3 medium size choko, peeled, sliced into long strips
250 g minced pork
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 Tsp freshly ground pepper
2 Tbs fish sauce
2 Tbs Shao Xing
3 Tbs oil
1 Tsp chicken stock powder (OPT)
1 Tsp cornflour
water
dash of soy sauce

Rice paper rolls

2 block rice vermicelli
12 wrappers rice paper
12 prawns, remove shell and dirt, halved
1 Tbs minced garlic
oil
coriander
lettuce, tear to bite size

Pickled carrots

5 carrots, shredded
1/2 c white vinegar
1/8 c sugar
2 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tsp salt

Dipping sauce

2 Tbs fish sauce
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
Juice of ½ lime
1 tsp sugar
1 garlic clove finely chopped
finely chopped chilli (OPT)

Method

Do the pickled carrots first

In a large glass container, stir sugar, fish sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and salt into the vinegar until completely dissolved. Add shredded carrots and cover tightly with clip on lid. Let the carrots marinate for about 1 hour at room temperature or refrigerate overnight. The flavours will deepen and intensify the longer it marinates. Best flavour is achieved after 24 hours. Will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks (sometimes longer).

The next day

Dipping sauce:  whisk all ingredients together and set aside. Prepare prawns: Heat saucepan on medium heat, add oil and garlic cook for about 30 seconds. Then add prawns and cook until turn orange. Remove and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 Tbs sugar, pepper, chicken stock and 1 Tbs fish sauce. Mix well then add minced pork and marinate for 30 minutes. Heat oil in saucepan over high heat. Add garlic cook until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add minced pork, toss around and break up for about 4 minutes and remove and set aside on plate.

Next add the choko to the same hot pan then add remaining fish sauce, sugar, soy sauce and a bit of water. Stir then cover with lid and cook on medium heat for 7 minutes. Mix well cornflour with 2 Tbs of water until no lump and set aside.

Remove the lid, add Shao Xing, cornflour mixture and cooked minced pork and toss well for a further 2-3 minutes. Check for seasoning. Add a bit more soy sauce if needed. Switch off hob and transfer to a deep bowl and set aside to cool.

Rice paper rolls

Put kettle on. Once boil pour into metal bowl with rice vermicelli in. Gives a couple of stir and let the rice vermicelli soften. Drain the water and place in a bowl. Chopped coriander and set aside in another bowl.

To assemble the rolls

Prepare the wrapper: take a bowl large enough to fit a rice paper wrapper in and fill it with lukewarm water. Take 1 rice paper wrapper and soak it in the water for about 30 seconds until it starts to feel soft. Remove from the water and place on a plate.

Fill the wrapper: spoon some chili sauce near the middle of rice paper, then spoon hoisin sauce over the chili sauce. Next add a couple of lettuce on top of sauces followed by vermicelli noodles, choko minced pork, carrots, 2 halved prawns, some coriander, drizzle some dipping sauce (OPT). I added some more chili sauce on top.

Roll it by lifting the bottom of rice paper facing you up with clean hand tug in the filling, next the two sides flip inward, then roll up tightly until the end of rice paper in front of you. Repeat until all rice paper rolls are roll up. Eat it by dipping in the sauce and serve it with a cold beer. Enjoy!!!!!

Note: Any leftover rolls, store in the fridge for a couple of days, but they are best eaten that day.

https://helenscchin.com/2021/09/30/rice-paper-rolls/

My choko minced pork recipe: https://helenscchin.com/2021/09/28/choko-minced-pork/

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