Raw Rice Paper Rolls

For those who have never tried these before, they are way easier to make than you might think. In fact, I just made these for lunch today and I think it took me 15 minutes to complete from start to finish. It is about as difficult as making a sandwich, so don't be intimidated at first glance.

I have included multiple photos to help us get through the instructions. When I first attempted these on my own, I watched a video and found the visuals extremely helpful. You can find rice paper virtually anywhere these days, but I love any excuse to go to the Asian shops in Kensington Market in Toronto or at Ben Than in Kitchener. Their food is fresh and always a great deal!

This recipe is my own inspiration and contains my husband's favourite - red peppers, but you can adapt it and use any ingredients you like for the filling. This is a great way to include miscellaneous veggies that need to be used before spoiling. Sprouts are key for me though, for their crisp water texture.

Ok, let's get started with the ingredients:

1 Package of Rice Paper















For the paste:
1 miniature red chili pepper (Thailand) - minced
2 Tbsps smooth almond butter (or nut butter of your choice)
3 Tbsps of mushroom flavoured soy sauce (Or any kind you prefer)
1 clove of minced garlic

Mix all of these ingredients together is a small bowl, the colour will look like miso paste, dark brown and will have the consistency of peanut butter.

For the filling:
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup red pepper
1 green onion chopped
2 cups of sprouts

These were all the ingredients I had on hand today. I would normally include anything that might add extra flavour on a sandwich like shredded carrots, finely chopped onions, etc. Really, let your creative juices flow here and create any combination you want, or substitute the ingredients above for something that suits your taste.

Now that you have your pasty sauce made, put it to the side, get out your favourite cutting board and start chopping the the green onions and other veggies you intend to include. Set those aside. After all ingredients have been chopped and washed, you are now ready to begin assembling.

First step is to water 1 sheet of rice paper. By water, I mean soak one sheet and ensure it is coated and wet. You can do this by having a bowl of water set by your side or you can just run it under cold running water on both sides like I do.



Now you set the sheet on your cutting board and you are going to wait about 60 seconds for it to soften. During this time, you can decoratively place the cilantro leaves face down and you can spread a bit of your paste as seen here.




Feel free to get creative here. Tip: Handle the rice paper carefully, it becomes sticky and can tear or shrivel easily. If it does rip, you can double wrap the roll by repeating the wrapping process with another sheet, no problem!

Now, you add the filling. Any ingredients you want to include must fit within the palm of your hand as a general rule. Too many ingredients will make it more difficult to roll. Now you fold the rice paper over the ingredients like a burrito and you fold the sides over and then roll over to complete.




Find your favourite dipping sauce and enjoy!

Makes 4-6 rolls, depending on how many ingredients you use for each roll.