How to make spicy tofu summer rolls

Ambivalent about tofu? Let Beverley Hicks try to change your mind with these fresh and spicy summer rolls

Sauces (clockwise from top left): chilli, lime and coriander; black rice vinegar and sweet chilli; and hoisin and peanut (Beverley Hicks)

Spicy tofu summer rolls

It doesn’t matter if you are a lover or hater of tofu, one thing is for sure – it’s healthy, full of protein and calcium and because of its structure and lack of flavour it will soak up any flavours you serve it with. Popping it into a marinade before or after cooking (or both!) will transform this bland but nutritionally rich ingredient into something wonderful.

I admit that the list of ingredients for this recipe is pretty long, but most of the fillings are suggestions for you to choose from to make your own combinations. You can serve as many of the sauces as you wish, one of them is made from the tofu marinade so near enough makes itself.

This is definitely one of those good-for-you recipes that are also tasty and filling. Pack as many fillings as you can get into your rice paper wrappers. Once hydrated the wrappers are fairly resilient but may split if you stuff them too full.

It’s best to make summer rolls fresh, just before you want to serve them, but I have made them in the evening and taken them to work for lunch the following day and they are still really good. The rice paper “skins” tend to dry out after a while so the best way to store them until ready to eat is in an airtight box with wet kitchen paper on the base arranged as you would if you were lining up tacos, so that the spring rolls are surrounded on their base and sides with the damp tissue. Be warned: if the skins touch each other they will stick together – for good!

If you love tofu, then you’ll love this recipe, but if you don’t then I’m hoping this will change your mind.

Makes 8-10 rolls

8-10 x 22cm rice paper wrappers

For the tofu

1tbsp rapeseed oil
300g firm or extra-firm tofu

For the marinade

50ml Chinese black rice vinegar, no substitutions, this ingredient is amazing
1tbsp sesame oil
2tbsp dark soy sauce
1tsp light soy sauce
25g piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 fat garlic cloves, minced
1-2tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Squeeze of lime

For the summer roll fillings (your choice of the following)

Small bag of salad leaves, roughly chopped if too large
9-10 breakfast radishes, sliced into matchsticks
3 spring onions, sliced lengthwise into fine shreds
1/2 medium cucumber, seeds removed and sliced into batons
1/4 red cabbage, finely shredded
1/3 each of red, green, yellow and orange peppers, sliced into thin lengths
1 medium carrot, sliced into matchsticks
Handful of baby corn, sliced lengthways into 4 or 6
5 asparagus spears, woody part removed, halved lengthways if too thick
Handful of sugar snap peas, halved lengthways
Small bunch mint, leaves only
Small bunch coriander, leaves and stalks

Tofu is packed with water, you will need to “press” out as much of the water as possible so that it doesn’t dilute the other flavours in the dish. Cut open the package and pour out the water. Place the block of tofu on a plate lined with lots of kitchen paper, put more on top and wrap up the block as well as you can. Place another plate on top and weigh it down with something heavy (books, tins, a heavy chopping board – you get the idea). After about 15 minutes remove the weights, unwrap the tofu and either wring out and re-use the kitchen paper or replace with new. Replace the plates and weights and leave for another 15 minutes. The resulting block of tofu will be slightly smaller and firmer.

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a wide shallow dish. Cut the tofu into 1cm batons and add to the marinade making sure the tofu is completely covered. Leave to one side to marinate.

Meanwhile, start preparing your choice of fillings so that when the tofu and sauces are made, you will be ready to roll.

To cook the tofu, heat the oil in a large frying pan on a medium heat. When the oil is hot, carefully transfer the tofu batons from the marinade into the pan with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade. Do not touch the tofu for 1 minute to allow a crust to form on the bottom, then turn carefully with a fork and cook for 1 minute on each of the remaining sides. If you find that the marinade on the tofu is beginning to burn, just reduce the cooking time a little. Once cooked on all sides, remove the tofu from the pan and add back to the marinade while still hot to allow it to soak up even more flavour. After 10-15 minutes when the tofu has cooled completely remove it from the marinade, place on a plate, and put with the rest of the prepared fillings.

Pour the remaining marinade back into the frying pan along with 50ml water, simmer over a medium heat until reduced by half. Add 1tbsp of sugar and a squeeze of lime and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, adding more sugar or lime juice to suit your own taste. Pour into a sauce bowl to serve with your summer rolls.

If you wish to serve with other sauces, make these first (see recipes below) before you start assembling the rolls.

To assemble the summer rolls: half fill a large shallow dish with hot water and put on one side of a chopping board with the prepared fillings arranged around the board. Take one rice paper wrapper and slide it into the hot water until slightly softened (about 5 seconds). Remove and spread out on your clean chopping board. The rice paper wrapper will continue to soften and get sticky so you will have to work fast from this point.

Arrange some salad leaves on the bottom third of the rice paper, folding or tearing to fit and leaving a 1-inch border on both sides. Arrange 2-3 pieces of marinated tofu in the middle of the rice paper then continue to add combinations of your chosen fillings, finishing with some mint and coriander.

From the bottom, roll up the rice paper halfway into a cylinder tucking in all the fillings as you go. Fold both edges in and continue to roll the paper, which will seal itself closed. Continue making the rolls until you have run out of fillings or wrappers. Cut the rolls in half and arrange on a plate around your chosen dips.

Some other sauces you may like to serve along with your summer rolls:

Chilli, lime and coriander dipping sauce

1/3 red chilli
Handful of fresh coriander, leaves and stems
Juice of half a lime
60ml rice vinegar
3tsp caster sugar 
10ml soy sauce
1tsp sesame seeds

Finely chop the chilli and coriander and squeeze the juice from the lime. Heat the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Pour in the soy sauce, mix and leave to one side to cool. When cool pour into a small bowl and add the lime juice. Scatter over the chillies, coriander and sesame seeds and serve with your summer rolls.

Hoisin and peanut dipping sauce

3tbsp hoisin sauce
3tbsp hot water
2 heaped tbsp crunchy peanut butter
Juice of half a lime 

Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan over a medium heat. Stir until everything is combined and you have a smooth sauce. Allow to cool then spoon into a small bowl and serve with your summer rolls.

Follow Beverley Hicks @littlechelseakitchen