Thai Spring Rolls that can be made Gluten Free and Vegan! This killer appetizer is best paired with a sweet chili sauce that you can’t get enough of.
I first fell head over heels with Vietnamese fresh and fried spring rolls, and now that I’m in Thailand I’ve discovered they’ve got their own Thai spring rolls over here.
The Thai spring roll wrappers here aren’t as thin as the ones in Vietnam but also aren’t as thick as the Chinese style egg roll wrappers – they’re somewhere in between.
And they’re not rice based, so a no-no for gluten free eaters unfortunately.
They do still make for a killer appetizer and when served with that sweet chili garlic sauce you just can’t get enough.
Luckily when you make these at home you’re not limiting yourself to the appetizer portion size set by the cafes and restaurants.
Who says 3 spring rolls is enough anyway? Perhaps I want more.
The joys of cooking at home. No limits whatsoever and no judgement — you can have as many Thai spring rolls as you like!
Make as many of these Thai Spring Rolls as you wish, but don’t fry them until you’re ready to gobble them up – you wouldn’t to waste any of that crispy perfection. I recommend setting aside an afternoon and making dozens of them, not popping them in the freezer and frying them on demand whenever you’re craving a Thai spring rolls.
I came across this recipe on the Thai island of Koh Lanta, but vegetarianism is very popular in Thailand both on the mainland and even on islands like Koh Phan, where you can even find good hostels that provide nice vegetarian cuisine.
These Thai spring rolls are made with glass noodles and a mix of veggies for a delicious appetizer and start to dinner!
Make your own Thai spring rolls at home so you're not limited by the portion size at the restaurants! Even more delicious!
- 8 ounces glass noodles
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 4 coriander roots crushed, and minced
- 8 ounces fresh bean sprouts
- 12 shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1 carrot julienned
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce use mushroom sauce for vegan version
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce Use gluten-free tamari for gluten-free version
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
- 6 green onions cut into 1 inch pieces
- 20 spring roll wrappers can be found in frozen section of Asian food stores (for gluten free version make sure made with rice flour, for vegan version make sure no egg used)
- 4 cups oil for deep frying
- For sealing the spring rolls:
- 4 tablespoons flour cornstarch for gluten free version
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
-
Soak noodles in room temperature water for 15 minutes and drain. With scissors cut noodles into smaller segments.
-
Heat wok over medium heat and add vegetable oil (6 tablespoons), garlic and coriander root. Cook until aromatic (1 minute).
-
To the wok add bean sprouts, mushrooms, carrot, and noodles. Cook until bean sprouts soften. If mixture gets dry add some of the broth (or water).
-
Add oyster, soy sauce, black pepper, sugar, sesame oil and remaining broth. Stir until sauce is reduced and vegetables and noodles absorb the broth and sauce. Remove from heat and add the green onion.
-
In a small bowl combine flour and water and mix until smooth (this will be used to seal the spring rolls).
-
Place spring roll wrapper in front of you (with a damp cloth covering the wrappers you aren't using) and add 3 tablespoons of filling to the bottom third of the wrapper. Start rolling, tightly and after rolling it halfway fold in the sides and keep rolling. To secure the spring roll spread some of the flour mixture on the tip of the spring roll and press against the side. Place spring roll under a damp cloth and set aside.
-
Repeat with remaining spring roll wrappers and filling.
-
Heat 4 cups oil for deep frying the spring rolls. To test the oil temperature dip a toothpick into the oil and when bubbles form around it the oil is ready.
-
Gently slide in 4 spring rolls at a time. Deep fry until golden brown. Remove from pan and drain off oil from the spring rolls (using paper towels or strainer).
-
Repeat until all spring rolls are fried.
Recipe for these Thai Spring Rolls comes from the Time for Lime Cooking School
Christine says
Thanks for this Thai recipe…I’m living in China right now and just itching to travel to Thailand…we wanted to go over winter break but it being peak tourist season and us being a family of three, we may just have to wait a few more months (and then find a part of Thailand that isn’t rainy). This rice looks very easy indeed. It’s been a shock to the system since I used to have pasta as the go-to carb of choice…:)
Vicky says
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! We are currently in Thailand ourselves, just renting an apartment for the month in the small beach side town of Cha-am. The beach isn’t as nice as the ones on the Thai islands but it seems to be a lot less touristy so maybe look around this area if you’re trying to find something. Hua-Hin is another beach side resort spot just 25km down from Cha-am.
Christine says
Hey,
Thanks for the information…we may end up trying to go at the end of our stay in China-it just didn’t work out financially for us for the moment and so Chinese language studying it is over Spring Festival.
Could I send you a comment for suggestions if and when we do get to go?
Have a great time on those uncrowded beaches…paradise sounds fun!
Vicky says
If you need any tips or have any questions please feel free to ask away! Best of luck with Chinese language studying — that can’t be easy!
Mary says
This Looks fabulous! Love it.