Gỏi Cuốn Image Used Under Creative Commons License From kimkhanhcreations.blogspot.com
Citizens, Gỏi cuốn or Vietnamese spring rolls are a classic Vietnamese dish traditionally consisting of pork, prawn, vegetables, bún (rice vermicelli), and other ingredients wrapped in Vietnamese bánh tráng (commonly known as rice paper).
They also are one of TFD’s favorite snacks, epitomizing all that is light and intensely flavorful in Viet cuisine. Like other spring roll dishes, they are believed to have an origin in China and were introduced to Vietnam by Chinese immigrants although the gỏi cuốn has been modified to suit local tastes.
Gỏi cuốn are served fresh while others are served fried, like the Vietnamese chả giò. They are served at room temperature (or cooled) and are not deep-fried or cooked on the outside. These rolls are considered to be a very popular appetizer with customers in Vietnamese restaurants.
The bánh tráng (rice paper) is dipped in water, then laid flat on a plate with the desired amount of ingredients placed on top. The fresh gỏi cuốn is then rolled up and ready to be eaten. Gỏi cuốn can be served with tương xào (also known as hoisin sauce), which consists of ground tương (tương đen or tương xay) and mixed coconut water (or broth), before being stir-fried with garlic and some sugar and then sprinkled with chili powder and ground peanuts. Alternatively, gỏi cuốn can be served with peanut sauce or other Vietnamese dipping sauces, such as nước chấm, a condiment based on fish sauce.
In Vietnam and in various parts of Southeast Asia, Vietnamese can be seen hand-making bánh tráng (rice paper) and placing them on the rectangular bamboo trays around their houses. Traditionally, gỏi cuốn are eaten with a large group of people at a home setting.
In southern Vietnam, these rolls are called gỏi cuốn, meaning salad rolls, while in northern Vietnam, these rolls are called nem cuốn, meaning nem rolls. In central Vietnam, they are simply called “rice paper” rolls. In the West, these rolls are called by several different English names, including “salad roll”, “spring roll” and “summer roll.”
Sometimes the word “Vietnamese” is added at the beginning of these words; for example, in Hong Kong, they are called “Vietnamese rolls”, and in Australia and the United States they may be called “Vietnamese spring rolls” (although specifically in Australia they may sometimes be referred to as “cold rolls”).
Some Asian restaurants in the United States also refer to them as “crystal rolls”, “soft rolls” or “salad rolls”. The name “summer roll” was popularized by some Vietnamese American restaurants for easier marketing and as a seasonal play on the term “spring roll”. But many Vietnamese American restaurants still use “spring roll” as the English translation.
While made in the same form as Chinese spring rolls, the ingredients are very different and it is served fresh, while spring and egg rolls are served fried. The fillings can vary from the standard pork slices, pork sausage slices (chả), and shrimp; fish, pan-fried seafood (such as squid), beef poached in a lemongrass broth, tofu (for vegetarians), grilled nem nướng sausages, braised pork, and egg are among some of the other popular spring roll variations.
They are served at room temperature (or cooled) and are not deep fried or cooked on the outside. They also happen to be listed at number 30 on the World’s 50 most delicious foods list complied by CNN Go in 2011.
Fresh gỏi cuốn have gained popularity among Vietnam’s neighboring countries and in the western hemisphere as well. These rolls are considered to be a very popular appetizer with customers in Vietnamese restaurants.
Citizens, this is a classic Viet recipe that I hope you will try for yourselves!
½ lb. medium-sized shrimp, cooked and cut in half lengthwise
½ lb. pork leg, cooked and sliced thinly
1 pack rice paper (banh trang)
1 pack rice vermicelli noodles, the starchless variety
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
⅓ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup trimmed bean sprouts
½ cup pickled carrot (recipe follows)
½ cup pickled cucumber (recipe follows)
16 fresh mint leaves
16 fresh coriander sprigs
16 fresh garlic chives, cut into lengths
Nuoc leo (peanut sauce) and nuoc cham (dipping sauce), to serve (recipes follow)
***
Pickled carrot:
4 large carrots, peeled, cut into thin matchsticks
125ml (½ cup) rice wine vinegar
60ml (¼ cup) water
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 red birdseye chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
***
Pickled cucumber:
4 Asian cucumbers, ends trimmed, halved lengthways, thinly sliced diagonally
125ml (½ cup) rice wine vinegar
60ml (¼ cup) water
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
***
Nuoc Cham dipping sauce:
60ml (¼ cup) water
60ml (¼ cup) fish sauce
2 tbs fresh lime juice
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tbs finely chopped palm sugar (preferred) or use light brown sugar
½ stem lemon grass, pale section only, finely chopped
2 fresh red jalapeño or Fresno chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
***
Nuoc Leo (peanut dipping sauce):
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 or more bird’s eye or Thai chilies,
seeded and minced
3 ounces unsalted roasted peanuts, 1 tablespoon chopped, the rest finely ground (don’t let it turn into peanut butter!)
1 cup chicken stock
⅓ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon top-quality fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
Place the noodles in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Drain and add salt and sugar – mix thoroughly.
Soak 1 rice-paper sheet in warm water for 30 seconds or until soft (don’t soak the sheet for too long or it will tear). Drain on paper towel. Place on a clean work surface.
Place 2 prawns along center of sheet, along with some pork slices. Add some of the noodles, peanuts, bean sprouts, pickled carrot and pickled cucumber. Top with 1 mint leaf and 1 coriander sprig. Fold in ends and top with 1 garlic chive. Roll up firmly to enclose filling. Repeat to make 16 rice-paper rolls.
Serve with nuoc leo (peanut sauce) and nuoc cham (dipping sauce) dipping sauces.
Pickled carrot:
Combine the carrot, vinegar, water, sugar, salt, chilli and garlic in a large glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 6 hours or overnight to develop the flavors.
Pickled cucumber:
Combine the cucumber, vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a medium glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 6 hours overnight to develop the flavors.
Nuoc Cham dipping sauce:
Combine the water, fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, palm sugar, lemon grass, chilli and garlic in a jug and stir until the sugar dissolves. Serve.
Nuoc Leo dipping sauce:
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir-fry the garlic and chilies until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the ground peanuts and stir until they give up some of their natural oil, about 5 minutes more.
Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and sugar, and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the oil from the peanuts starts surfacing, about 15 minutes. Transfer sauce to a heatproof serving bowl, garnish with chopped peanuts, and serve.
✉ RECEIVE NEW POST UPDATES BY EMAIL!
Citizens, you have probably noticed we don’t use ads here on TFD.
YOUR support is what keeps the lights on – I can no longer afford to absorb the nearly $1000 per month it costs to keep the site running smoothly, including marketing expenses, etc.
You can make a difference!
Please consider making a one-time donation to help keep the site live and the posts coming – click here to PayPal Me a tip!
You can also show your support by listening to our podcasts, liking them, and sharing as you see fit – try them out here.
How useful was this post, Citizen?
Click on a star to rate it, Citizen!
Average rating / 5. Vote count:
No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.
As you found this post useful...
Follow us on social media, Citizen!
We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!
