Vietnamese Cold Summer Rolls

Step 1

1 For the rolls: Combine the carrots, jicama and red bell pepper in a mixing bowl

Step 2

2 Add the thinh and laab-namtok seasonings, tossing until well coated

Step 3

3 Fill a large bowl with warm water and spread a clean kitchen towel on your work surface

Step 4

4 Take a look at the wrapper: you’ll notice a pattern on one side while the other side is smooth

Step 5

5 Quickly dip a wrapper into the water and then lay it on top of the towel, smooth side facing down

Step 6

6 It should be just damp

Step 7

7 Take several basil and cilantro leaves and some of the radish slices, laying them on the surface of the damp wrapper, a couple of inches from the edge closest to you

Step 8

8 Sprinkle a teaspoon of the sesame seeds on the surface of the wrapper just above the herbs and radish

Step 9

9 Working with one roll at a time, take a lettuce leaf (trimming it, if necessary, so that it’s no more than 6 inches long)

Step 10

10 Fill it with a few pieces each of tofu and cucumber, then add a good pinch of the carrot, jicama and red bell pepper mixture

Step 11

11 Fold the edges of the lettuce leaf over the filling, then place it on top of the wrapper an couple of inches above the bottom edge (closest to you)

Step 12

12 Grasp the bottom edge of the wrapper and pull up over the top of the lettuce-leaf bundle, rolling once toward the top of the wrapper, wrapping it around the lettuce

Step 13

13 Pull the left and then the right sides of the wrapper over the ends toward the center firmly, so that you now have a straight edge on each side

Step 14

14 Take a few enoki mushrooms and tuck them into the crease of the wrapper with the tops of the mushrooms just sticking out, then continue to roll the wrapper firmly, like a cigar; if the wrapper starts to dry out or crack, just dampen your fingers and use them to re-moisten the wrapper

Step 15

15 Make sure that the wrapper is sealed

Step 16

16 Repeat to make a total of 10 rolls

Step 17

17 Refrigerate while you make the sauce

Step 18

18 For the sauce: Combine the coconut milk and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat

Step 19

19 Once the mixture begins to bubble at the edges, stir in the peanut butter until completely incorporated

Step 20

20 Add the soy sauce and continue stirring until blended; if the mixture is too thick, you can thin it with water, a little at a time, until you reach the desired consistency

Step 21

21 Remove from the heat, then stir in the chili-garlic sauce

Step 22

22 The yield is about 1 cup

Step 23

23 When you’re ready to serve the rolls, transfer the sauce to a bowl and garnish it with the peanuts