I recommend using some vegetables such as zucchini, cucumber, or carrot along with the soft lettuce leaves to give the rolls some crunch. Some chopped peanuts would be great in these too!
Serves: 8 rolls
Ingredients
tamarind tofu*
1 block extra firm tofu, pressed & sliced
1T tamarind paste
1T brown sugar
½t sea salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1t lemongrass, minced
1 jalapeño, seeded & finely minced
ginger garlic paste
2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled & grated
2-3 cloved garlic, peeled & grated
2T light olive oil
¼t sea salt
other ingredients
2T coconut oil for frying tofu
small rice paper wrappers
bowl of warm water
fresh vegetables
lettuce leaves
cilantro leaves
zucchini, sliced into 2" strips
fresh sprouts
peanuts (optional)
Instructions
first make the ginger garlic paste and set aside
then prep all of the vegetables, set them aside
fill a medium size bowl with warm water. not too hot or the rice paper wrappers will break.
Next heat a medium size sauté pan with 2T coconut oil. In a mortar pestle, mash together the lemongrass, garlic, salt and jalapeño until it forms a paste. Add that to the tamarind and brown sugar. Coat each slice of tofu with the tamarind mixture. Place tofu slices carefully into the hot oil and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Now you're ready to assemble the rolls. Take one rice paper wrapper and dip it into the warm water, turning it slowly until all of it is wet. It will become more flexible while you're filling it, so theres no need to submerge it for very long. If the water is too hot, it will break apart. Let the water cool a bit and try again. Place the wrapper onto a round plate.
Start with the ginger garlic paste. Spread about 1t of the paste in the middle of the wrapper, horizontally. Next start layering your vegetables.also horizontally, starting with the lettuce leaves. Slice the tofu into strips and add 2-3 on top of the veggies.
Starting at the bottom lift up the wrapper and lift over onto the veggies. Fold in one of the sides then continue rolling up until it forms a roll . The wrapper will stick to itself forming a seal.
I like to leave one of the ends open, but you can certainly tuck in both sides.
Notes
I mashed together the lemongrass, salt, garlic & jalapeño into a paste before mixing it with the tamarind and brown sugar
Recipe by THE TEASPOON & THE WAVE at https://www.theteaspoonandthewave.com/tamarind-crusted-tofu-spring-rolls/