These are my FAVORITE!!! We always got these at my favorite Asian restaurant in Providence, RI, but since we moved I’ve missed them immensely. Luckily, they proved to be remarkably simple to recreate. They are a delicious and fresh appetizer or even a meal in themselves. These would be great in the summer when you don’t want to cook.
1/4 lb. Cellophane noodles – boiled for 4 minutes, drained & rinsed in cold water
12-14 small-medium sized shrimp
dash chili powder
dash garlic powder
1 tsp. olive oil
6 Spring Roll Wrappers (NOT egg roll wrappers. These are dried and are NOT
sold refrigerated – see picture below)
1 c fresh bean sprouts
6 tsp. crushed roasted peanuts
18 small spearmint leaves
18 large sweet basil leaves
Dipping Sauce
1/2 c crushed roasted peanuts
1/2 c sweet chili sauce (find in ethnic foods aisle: Thai)
1/4 c rice vinegar
Prepare rice noodles. Make sure they are rinsed well so they don’t stick.
Mix shrimp with chili & garlic powders. Saute with olive oil in a nonstick pan until just cooked through. Chop into 1/2 inch cubes.
Rehydrate one spring roll wrapper in a bowl of hot tap water until soft and pliable. Add 1/6 of the noodles and bean sprouts in the middle. Place 3 mint leaves across, then lay down 1/6 of the shrimp, sprinkle with some peanuts and top with 3 basil leaves. Roll up tightly like you would a sandwich wrap, egg roll, or burrito. Keep on a plate covered with a damp paper towel until ready to serve. Repeat with remaining 5 wrappers.
Combine ingredients for the dipping sauce. Serve alongside chilled Nim Chow.
4 comments:
Thank you thank you!!! I also fell in love with nim chow in Providence and have never been able to find it just like they make it at Apsara...especially the sauce! I can't wait to try them : )
hi, I just happened upon your blog about a pesto you'd made with garlic scape when I saw this link to "Nim chow" and was intrigued. Being vietnamese, I'd never heard of it. I don't know, I might be wrong (afterall, I speak very little vietnamese - but I do know my food!) Vietnamese spring rolls (or summer rolls whatever) are actually "Goi Cuon" in vietnamese. Just thought I'd let you know. ;)
btw, the pesto looks great. I'm going to see if I can find some of that garlic scape.
Apsara's Nim Chow are AMAZING! I live in Wilmington, DE now and I've found nothing that can touch theirs. One of the ingredients in their sauce that seems to be missing from this recipe is fish sauce.
I've searched, in vain, for decent Nim Chow since moving from Rhode Island. Thank you so very much for this recipe.. it is truly delectable!
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