Soft rolls with tofu and pickled vegetables

Serves 6

40g carrot
40g cucumber
40g chow chow (a member of the squash family widely used in Asian cooking which resembles an apple)
40g mouli (a large white radish also called daikon)
40g sour green mango
Julienne all vegetables

Pickling liquor for papaya

40g papaya, cut into strips
50ml water
50ml rice vinegar
25g sugar

For the nuoc cham

Makes 1 litre

20g red chillies
20g garlic
200ml fish sauce
400ml water
200ml lemon juice
20g castor sugar
200ml white wine vinegar

For each roll (serve two per portion)

1 la lot leaf
2tsp marinated firm silken tofu (marinated with white fermented bean curd)
3 coriander leaves
2-3 mint leaves
2 basil leaves
Rice paper soaked in warm water

Put the water, rice vinegar and sugar into a sauce pan and gently heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves, this should take about five minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Pour the cooled liquor over the julienned vegetables and place in the refrigerator overnight.

To make the nuoc cham, finely chop the chillies and garlic and combine with the water, vinegar, fish sauce and sugar. Warm on the stove, being careful not to boil, and allow the sugar to dissolve while the chilli and garlic infuse. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before adding the lemon juice.

 

Soak a rice paper sheet in warm water for a maximum of 10 seconds, until soft. Lay on a damp cloth; place one la lot leaf on the bottom third of the sheet, on top of that place the other herbs, the tofu and the julienne vegetables. Roll everything up from the bottom and fold in the sides.