Vegetarian Vietnamese Rice Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

This is just so fresh and healthy and easy to make that I wonder why I never did this before.

Rice sheets are now available in most grocery stores in India (well, in Bombay at least).

For the filling, I used:
1 small radish
1 small carrot
Half each of red and yellow peppers
Moong bean sprouts
Sweet basil 
Cilantro
Mint
Vermicelli*

*I used Brown Rice Vermicelli. Just soak them in boiling water for 5 minutes.
To give it some extra flavour, I stir-fried it with some garlic-chilli paste and added some salt. Allow to cool.

To prepare:
Keep a flat dish with some warm water, and 2 plates - one to prepare it in and 1 to keep the finished rolls in.
Dip the rice sheet in the water for about 10-20 seconds - make sure it doesn't fold in the water else it'll stick to itself. Once it is soft, place on the plate and start placing the filling. Start with the vermicelli in the center and add a piece of each vegetable. Don't overfill else it will get difficult to roll. Once everything is in place, roll the sides in first, then the rest of it. It takes a bit of practice but after 2-3 rolls, it should get better.

Peanut Dipping Sauce:
1 cup roasted peanuts 
1/2 tsp salt                  
1 tbsp honey               
2-3 tbsps olive oil  
Put these ingredients in a food processor and make into a paste - doesn't need to be very smooth. OR just use some Peanut Butter.

Add:
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp chilli-garlic paste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Mix well and serve.

Cherry Clafoutis

I got this recipe from the tried and trusted Joy of Baking. Not only did this make a good dessert, but it was also good as a quick breakfast option.


1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp granulated white sugar
3/4 cup (180 ml) milk 
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix all these ingredients well until the batter is smooth.

For the cherries

1 tin of Cherry filling OR 

If you can find good fresh cherries and have the patience to de-seed them, then get about 

         300 to 400 grams fresh cherries, pitted

         1 tbsp butter

         1 tbsp sugar

In a saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat. Add the cherries and cook for about 2 minutes till they're nicely coated with the butter. Then add the sugar and cook till the cherries start to get syrupy.

Transfer the cherries into a baking dish. Pour the batter over it and bake for about 20 minutes at 220 deg C. The filling will rise so do not open the oven door till the edges/top have browned a little towards the end - or else it will collapse.

Let it cool. Dust the top with some icing sugar. Serve warm or cold.

Semolina Pudding

A quick and easy dessert pudding. Traditionally, in the Indian style recipe, we use jaggery instead of brown sugar, and ghee (clarified butter) instead of butter.

1 cup semolina
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil/butter
2 tbsps milk/cream (optional)
Blanched almonds/crushed pistachio (optional)

Heat the oil in a pan. Once it's hot, add the semolina and toast till brown.
Add the sugar and mix till caramelized.
Add the milk/cream to give it a more creamy texture.
Serve warm with almonds/pistachio on top.