The Spicy Spatula

I’m not one of those people who sees something online and instantly tries it…unless it is something I truly love and think that I can make. But in this age of information and digital news, we all–eventually–fall prey to the Tik Tok or Instagram phenomenon known as…hmmm, recipes?

Anyway so I saw a recipe that allowed me a new and different way to use rice paper sheets and I just absolutely had to test it out for myself and today I’m going to share the results.

I’ll say right up front that it was tasty but it wasn’t what i was expecting and that is…well it just is.

I always have rice paper in the house because I love Vietnamese Spring Rolls which require rice paper sheets, but I’m never opposed to new ways to use these delicious sheets, especially since it’s really difficult to find a reasonable number of egg roll wrappers here in Romania. You either have to order a package of 150 sheets or do without. Thus far, I’ve decided to do without and then came the rice paper dumpling.

So…here we go. Good or bad, we’re doing this, people!

What You’ll Need:

*Wood/bamboo board
*Large bowl (to fill with water)
*Medium mixing bowl
*Silicone mat
*Skillet
*Whisk

Ingredients:

*Tofu (natural & grated)
*Carrot (shredded
*Leek
*Mushrooms (crimini & oyster, chopped)
*Radicchio
*Garlic (minced)
*Soy sauce (dark & regular
*Sesame oil
*Sriracha (any hot sauce will do)
*Rice paper
*Cold water
*Peanut oil
*Waste free broth or Water

Instructions:

*Start with sautéing mushrooms as they will require the most effort to get them cooked and slightly crispy. Add salt and black pepper, and add broth or water as necessary to prevent sticking.

*After about 5 to 7 minutes, mushrooms should cook out the water. Add more broth along with carrot and leek, stirring until vegetables become slightly soft and transparent,

*Stir frequently, about 5 minutes and add shredded or sliced radicchio.

*Cook until everything is soft and remove from heat.

*Make dipping sauce with raw garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, hot sauce and rice vinegar. Whisk together and set aside.

*To make dumplings: Soak rice paper in cold water for 10 to 20 seconds until soft and malleable.

*Lay on wooden board and add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture and fold like an envelope once, and then do it again with a second sheet. Repeat until you run out of vegetable filling.

*Brush a skillet with peanut oil and place vegan dumplings into the skillet, cooking for 3 to 5 minutes on each side.

*Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!

Verdict:

HIT OR MISS, at best. The vegan rice paper dumplings were delicious, seriously. They were also hard to eat and didn’t get as crispy as the social media video said they would. So, I cranked up the oven and added the vegan dumplings to a silicon baking mat, placing them in the oven while the other dumplings cooked.

I was slightly–okay, totally–disappointed that they didn’t crisp up they way I thought they would. It didn’t detract from the taste, but they were bigger than I thought they would be and hard to eat. My Hubs cut them in half while I went feral on them, using my fingers so that I could get a proper dip on’em.

Overall, they were tasty but the texture and eat-ability (that’s a word…right?) left me wanting something more.

The oven helped but if I make them again, I’ll try the air fryer to see if they get any crispier.

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