It must be faith – there is no other way to explain how I came upon this recipe! Hands down it’s in my top 3 favorite things to make and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. Make this for someone who usually eats meat and let them guess what’s inside (spoiler alert – it’s cleverly flavoured and fried tofu).

Great combination of fresh veggies, rice noodles and a dipping sauce of dreams. The rolls will be perfect for a dinner or as a party snack.

Recipe serves 4 people.

Ingredients

  • 150 g // 5.3 oz vermicelli rice noodles
  • 2 tbsp oil (sesame can be a great option)
  • 350 g // 12.3 oz silken tofu (or firm)
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp runny honey or maple syrup
  • 12 rice paper sheets
  • 1 long cucumber
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 red bell pepper

For the sauce:

  • 5-6 tbsp runny peanut butter
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp honey/maple syrup/agave syrup
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp sriracha sauce
  • a couple of tbsp of water

Instructions

  1. Start by draining the excess water from tofu. I recommend doing this about 1 hour before you want to start preparing the meal, but 20 min will do if you are short on time. Wrap the tofu in a few layers of paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel), put on a plate or cutting board, and place something heavy on top (I put another plate and a couple of books). Set aside for about an hour.
  2. Cook rice noodles per instructions on the package. Once cooked, place in a strainer under cold running water until the noodles have cooled down and let them drain.
  3. Prepare the sauce by putting all ingredients in a small jar and shaking until well combined.
  4. Once the tofu has sat and let out a puddle of water, transfer it to a cutting board. Now, you’ll have to be gentle if using silken tofu, as it tends to easily break apart. First cut the block in 1 cm // ⅓ in think slices, laying them flat on the board. Once you have all the slices laid down, cut each slice into 3 strips lengthwise about 1-1.5 cm // ⅓ – ⅔ in thick.
  5. To a frying pan over medium heat, add the oil. Carefully put the tofu strips in the oil and fry until golden brown about 10-15 minutes. Then flip and fry the other side as well for 10 minutes. In the meantime, combine 3 tbsp soy sauce with 3 tbsp syrup in a jar/little bowl, and pour over the tofu once both sides of the strips are brown. Stir to coat all strips and allow to cook until the tofu has mostly absorbed the mixture and it has become sticky and caramelized about 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  6. While the tofu is cooking, you can prepare the veggies. Peel cucumber and carrots, and cut them and the bell pepper into strips (similar size to tofu strips).
  7. Assembly time! Get a wide plate and fill it with water. Soak 1 rice paper in the water until it’s soft, then take it out and put it on a large cutting board. Take about 3 tbsp worth of rice noodles and place them near the bottom of the paper. Add sliced veggies on top (I do 3 carrots, 2 cucumbers and 1 bell pepper slice) and 2 strips of tofu.
  8. To make a roll, lift the bottom part of the rice paper and fold it over the filling. Fold each of the sides towards the center (closing off the ends of the roll) and then simply roll the bottom towards the top to seal the roll. (Call me if this is too complicated ;D)
  9. Serve on a wooden cutting board with little dipping bowls of sauce for each.

Recipe is adapted to my liking but all credits to one of my biggest food crushes – Krustnaglina.lv