Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

Instructions

1. In a pot of  boiling water cook the rice vermicelli noodles for 1 -2 mins. Switch off and soak the noodles in the hot water for another 2 – 3 mins. Check the noodles at regular intervals as they should not be overdone. Drain, rinse under cold water. Sprinkle some oil so that the noodle doesn’t stick to each other. Keep aside.
2. Cut, prepare and keep ready all the vegetables. Prior to assembling the spring roll take a wet and clean lint-free kitchen towel over a ceramic plate or simply wet the surface of the chopping board and use it for assembling the spring rolls. Keep a bowl of light lukewarm water to dip the rice papers one at a time. Keep the rice vermicelli and the herbs like cilantro, basil near and handy.
3. To assemble, first dip the rice paper in the bowl of lukewarm water for a few seconds and take off to put it on the wet kitchen towel or on the damp surface of the chopping board. Leaving about 1 to 1.5 inches cover the lower portion of the rice paper with some of the lettuce, followed by a fistful of rice vermicelli. Next stack it up with the carrot, cucumber and bell pepper julienne. Sprinkle the herb mix according to taste.
4. Now fold the lower edge of the rice paper over the filling. Hold and stretch the softened rice paper firmly so that the filling is compactly enclosed. Fold over the smaller two open sides in an attempt to seal and enclose them. Gently roll the rice paper along with the filling till the very end. Make sure to support the filling with your fingers in an attempt to ‘tuck’ them and keep them tightly in place, specially while rotating the rice paper.
5. If the rice paper softens or wrinkles too quickly, its more likely that the lukewarm water is more hot than required. Add some cold water to the bowl before assembling the next Fresh Spring Roll.
6. Repeat with the other rice papers. Cover finished spring rolls with damp kitchen towels to keep them soft and moist, until ready to eat. Serve the Fresh Spring Rolls with authentic Nuoc Mam sauce or can substitute it for a peanut sauce. Another fine alternative is the hoisin dipping sauce, which is nothing but hoisin sauce mixed with water.