Healthy Spring Rolls

by Trisha Vaz
I know, you’re thinking ‘How can spring rolls be healthy?’ These I know for sure are at least healthier that the deep fried variants. Theres no flour, no oil, its almost like a salad. If you’re looking for an interesting side, not to mention impressive looking one, once you get the hang of it, these spring rolls are the way to go. They are an interesting way of serving up some greens. The best part is, there’s practically no cooking involved and the rolls are so versatile you can use whatever you like (or have at hand) for the filling. These rolls are light and tasty, you can leave out the seafood and make it completely meatless. I think it would add a nice touch to any party spread too.

To be honest, I was pressed for time when I made these and hadn’t really planned on making them. So I had to make do with whatever I had on hand and improvise as I went along. I didn’t have a dipping sauce at hand and didn’t have the time to whip one up at the last minute. The next time I make these, I think I’ll make the sauce in advance. Anyway, I knew there had to be something saucy to go with the rolls. So what I did was, combine a cocktail sauce that I use for my shrimp cocktail with these rolls. You could think of these as shrimp cocktails in a wrapper =o)  I was quite happy with the way they turned out and I plan on serving these at the next party or family gathering, whichever comes first.

Healthy Spring Rolls


4 sheets of Rice paper
A few prawns, peeled, de-veined and boiled for a few minutes with a pinch of salt till tender
Some iceberg lettuce, chopped fine
A carrot, julienned
A cucumber, julienned
A few fresh coriander leaves whole
2-3 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tsp tomato sauce/ketchup
A few drops of Tabasco sauce
Salt, to taste
Freshly crushed black pepper, to taste

The trick to assembling these well, is to prep everything and keep it ready.

For the cocktail sauce, mix the mayonnaise, ketchup and Tabasco sauce in a bowl. Taste and adjust the flavors to your linking. If you like a hit of spice, you can use a tomato-chilly sauce and some extra Tabasco sauce.

Cut up all the veggies and keep aside.

I slit my prawns in half, lengthwise, like Candace suggested.

To assemble the rolls – 


Place warm water in a shallow dish large enough to fit your sheets of rice paper.

Dip the sheets of rice paper in the water for a few seconds till they have softened and then place them on a flat tray or cutting board.

Place the ingredients prepped for the filling in the center. I placed the coriander leaves first, I like how they look through the wrappers. Place the veggies and prawns. Season with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spoon some of the cocktail sauce over the filling and roll the wrapper tightly to form a spring roll.

Just to give you an idea I included the first sheet I rolled. It wasn’t rolled snug enough.Its the first one on the left. I wrapped the others tighter and I think they look so much better than the first one.

I hope these instructions can be understood. I now realize that it would have been simpler if I had pictures for each step. In any case, you can visit Candace’s blog for a step by step pictorial demo. Her spring rolls are really pretty.

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to –
A Little Birdie Told Me
Hearth and Soul
Tasty Tuesdays
Tuesday Night Supper Club
Tuesday’s at the Table
Delectable Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Recipes I Can’t Wait to Try
What’s On the Menu Wednesday
Real Food Wednesday

Trisha Vaz

This post was posted in Mains, Recipes, Seafood, Sides, Starters / Appetizers

22 thoughts on “Healthy Spring Rolls”

  8. Hi Trisha! I'm so glad you got a chance to try these and that you enjoyed them. Yours turned out beautiful!! They are one of our favorite meals. In fact, I probably need to make them again. I love the sauce that you made up for them. I'm going to try that next time. I love a seafood cocktail sauce. Thanks so much for the shout out! Have a great day!

    Reply

  16. healthy and delicious. i love spring rolls like this–great recipe! thank you for sharing with tuesday night supper club.

    Reply

  18. What delicious, fresh and healthy flavors! I haven't made spring rolls in ages, but you have me feeling motivated to visit our local international market to get some rice wrappers!

    Trisha, I always enjoy your writing and your recipes. Thank you so much for linking up to "A Little Birdie Told Me…" at Rook No. 17!

    Jenn

    Reply

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