I steam the spinach just until it collapses for these rolls and combine it with rice instead of the more traditional noodles. You can use brown, regular basmati or jasmine rice

Ingredients

For the filling

  • 1 ¾ cups cooked rice (brown, basmati or jasmine)
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1 pound baby spinach or 2 pounds bunch spinach, stemmed and washed
  • 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds or lightly toasted regular hulled sesame seeds
  • ¼ pound firm tofu, cut into dominoes 1/4 inch thick by 1/2 inch wide and drained on paper towels
  • 2 tablespoons peanut sauce
  • 2 large carrots (about 1 pound), peeled and grated
  • 6 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped, plus additional sprigs
  • cup mint leaves, coarsely chopped, plus additional leaves
  • ¼ cup Thai basil leaves, coarsely chopped, plus additional leaves (may substitute regular basil if you can’t get the Thai variety)
  • Salt to taste
  • 8 8 1/2-inch rice flour spring roll wrappers
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

      221 calories; 3 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 9 grams protein; 2 milligrams cholesterol; 406 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

8 spring rolls

Preparation

  1. Toss the rice with 1 tablespoon of the rice vinegar and the soy sauce
  2. Wash the spinach and steam 1 to 2 minutes, tossing halfway through. It should wilt but still have some texture. Rinse with cold water, squeeze dry and coarsely chop. Season with salt to taste
  3. Spread each tofu domino with about 1/4 teaspoon peanut sauce
  4. Place the shredded carrots, slivered mushrooms and chopped herbs in a large bowl and toss with the remaining rice vinegar and salt to taste
  5. Fill a bowl with warm water and place a spring roll in it just until it is pliable, about 30 seconds. Remove from the water and drain briefly on a kitchen towel. Place the wrapper on your work surface in front of you and arrange several cilantro sprigs, whole mint leaves and basil leaves, vein side up, on the wrapper. Leaving a 2-inch margin on the sides, place a handful of the carrot mixture on the wrapper, slightly nearer to the edge closest to you. Top with a handful of rice, then a handful of spinach. Place 3 tofu dominoes down the length of the spinach. Fold the sides in, then roll up the spring rolls tightly, squeezing the filling to get a tight roll. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice
  • If the wrapper tears when you roll it, you can moisten another wrapper and roll the torn one in it. Two wrappers will not make an overly thick roll
  • Advance preparation: These will keep for a day in the refrigerator. Wrap individually

30 minutes

Dining and Cooking