Gluten-free Spring Rolls

These are a favorite way to eat salad here.  We like them in large numbers with various fillings drenched in Mae Ploy Sweet Chilli Sauce (Chili has the two ll's on the bottle.)  I make these with just vegetables and rice, or add eggs and/or meat (usually chicken or thinly sliced sirloin steak) to the vegetables and rice.  Sometimes I only serve this and sometimes I make a stir fry or egg fried rice with the extra rice and vegetables.

Chopped vegetable such as green onion, cilantro, thin cucumber spears, various lettuces, or anything chopped up small or into thin spears

This is the greens and eggs.

Cooked short grain rice (I use about 1 1/2 cups cooked rice), cooled because if it is hot the wrappers will disintegrate, or thin Asian-style rice noodles, cooked and drained and probably cut.  

Meat marinated in soy sauce and green onion for an hour or so and the stir-fried

 Dry rice, or rice/tapioca wrappers soaked in warm water until pliable. Various sizes and shapes of these can be found in Asian stores, or at good supermarkets. The water should be in a container that allows you to put the rice wrappers in flat one at a time.  I use a cast iron skillet with high sides and put four wrappers in the water to soften.

Two wrappers side by side on a damp cloth.

After the rice, vegetables, and meat (if using) are ready place the wrappers one at a time in warmish water up to about 4 or five total in the water at a time.  Dampen a large cloth to place the softened wrappers on.  For some reason this makes them easier to use.  I can do two at a time, side by side, but Sarah folds the cloth in a very clever manner and puts all four in the cloth somehow.  Put a spoonful of rice, some vegetables, and a little meat and/or egg on the bottom of the wrapper and then fold in the sides.  Next, roll up and hopefully you have a neat package to present to your family. Laura and Sarah are very good at this, but my family eats mine as long as I provide enough Mae Ploy sauce to eat them with.  

Here is the filling. I used brown rice.

Starting to wrap

Now you need Mae Ploy sauce.

For a rice free version:

Use tapioca wrappers. These are a little different to use. The trick is you have two wrappers going at once. Dip the wrapper in the water and place on a damp cloth. Wrap when it is softer. While one is softening wrap the other. 

Instead of using rice as a filler use cut up sweet potato noodles. They are quite delightful!