Dinner: Vietnamese Spring Rolls & Sesame Wasabi Fish

For the past year, I had serious food envy every time I saw a rice paper roll recipe on someone's blog. They always looked amazing - fresh, light, stuffed with delicious ingredients. My mouth couldn't help watering at these grilled mango and cabbage rolls or these sesame crusted avocado ones or these garlic chicken stuffed babies. I (wrongly) assumed that making spring rolls would never be in my fate because I didn't think vietnamese rice paper was available in India. Until one day while grocery shopping, my mom found a packet of rice paper.

Immediately my mind went back to the various recipes I'd fawned over. As soon as I got home, I dug through my blogroll and found dozens of recipes. Combining my favorite elements from several recipes and making do with the limited resources I had. (Ripe Avocados in Delhi? Dream on.)

I came up with my own recipe, playing with different Asian inspired flavors, and used extra sauce from the vegetables to make a marinade for fish. Adding a simple salad on the side and the meal was complete!

You can play around with the filling for the rolls. I used green leaf lettuce along with carrots, cabbage and baby corn. I'm sure mushrooms, zucchini, bok choy, bell peppers would all be great for the vegetables and avocado, mango, pineapple, chard would all make excellent fillers. 

The sauce has soy sauce, sesame oil, honey and wasabi paste. These ingredients give it a wonderful flavor, but if they are unavailable you can substitute:

- fish sauce for soy sauce

- olive, canola or sunflower for sesame oil

- omit the wasabi paste, add some lemon juice for acidity

For a vegetarian option, instead of the fish use tofu or paneer. I've had good results with both. The marinade is also great with chicken or prawns!

Asian Spring Rolls 

Makes 8-10 rolls

(Wasabi Honey Glazed Vegetable Rolls)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste 
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/4-1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (according to preferred spiciness)
• ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
• 2 cups vegetables, sliced thinly
• Lettuce leaves
• 4-5 rice papers
• more sesame oil

Instructions

Vegetables:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celcius.
2. Toast sesame seeds in a pan on low heat until lightly browned
3. Mix 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil, soy sauce, honey and wasabi paste until completely combined.
4. Heat the remaining oil in a pan
5. Add ginger and garlic, saute until browned
6. Add the vegetables, one by one, depending on how long they will take to cook. Add the sauce.
7. Cook for few minutes on low heat until fully cooked.

Assembly:

1. Set up a large bowl of water and empty tray/cutting board.
2. Soak the rice paper for 10-15 seconds in the water and then place it on the board. Place a lettuce leaf and the vegetables. Roll, tuck, and fold in sides as you go. 
3. Lightly brush with oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and place on a baking pan.
4. Repeat with the rest of the rolls.
5. Bake for 5-10 minutes until lightly browned.

Serve with a dipping sauce. Thai chili or something similar would be ideal.

Wasabi Honey Glazed Fish

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste 
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/4-1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (according to preferred spiciness)
• 4 white fish fillets or tofu/paneer/chicken/prawns

Instructions

1. Mix all the ingredients except for the fish in a large bowl. Make sure they are well combined.
2. Marinade fish in the sauce for at least half an hour.
3. Heat a pan on medium heat.
4. Place fish on the pan and cook for a few minutes and then flip. Cook the other side.

1. Place fish on the pan and cook for a few minutes and then flip. Cook the other side.