Island Pantry
Wrap-and-dip food worldwide favorites

By Kaui Philpotts

Fillings of all sorts can be rolled up in edible wrappers. These are Vietnamese bahn trang. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Our markets are full of wrapping material. Just take a look at the different types of big, floppy tortilla wraps there are — including spinach, flour, corn, tomato and taro. In the chill case, you can find Filipino lumpia wrappers. On the ethnic food shelves, there is the dried banh trang, Vietnamese-style spring roll wraps made from rice flour. You can eat them freshly filled, without cooking, in the form of "summer rolls," or deep fry them, like the Thai-style "spring rolls."

Fillings vary, too. The tortilla wraps I've selected for today's column feature cooked chicken, tofu, rice, carrots, bean sprouts and cilantro (Chinese parsley). But there is no reason you can't just use last night's leftovers. Say, fried rice, tuna, chopped-up hot dogs, avocado or teri chicken.

These Vietnamese summer rolls include rice vermicelli (sai fun), or cellophane noodles (also known as long rice). If you don't eat shrimp, you can use tofu or finely chopped and cooked chicken or pork. Mint and cilantro are vital to get that Vietnamese-style flavor, a subtle background of warm spice. For crunch, you could use julienned jicama (Chinese potato), carrot, turnip, cucumber, bean sprouts or whatever else strikes your fancy —æeven dry-roasted peanuts.

Most of the ingredients in wraps like these are julienned — sliced into thin toothpicks. You can do this by hand with a knife, or look into getting a Japanese mandolin, or one of those hand-held gadgets they sell at places like Shirokiya to make the process easier.

Lumpia is another local favorite wrap, but this one is filled, rolled, tucked and then fried. Wrap any lumpia or Southeast Asian spring roll tightly. It can be prepared in advance, drained on paper towels, then go to the beach or a potluck, wrapped or packed in a plastic container in the cooler. However, most people serve lumpia or spring rolls hot, with a hot dipping sauce — plum, hoisin or Sriracha sauces straight from the bottle are good, or you can make a sauce.

Here's a cross-cultural tortilla wrap to try:

Tortilla Wraps with Creamy Peanut Sauce

• 1/3 cup low-sodium shoyu
• 1/4 cup mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 block firm tofu, cut into small cubes
• 6 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 cup cooked rice or leftover fried rice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
• 3/4 cup julienned carrots
• 3/4 cup julienned or chopped thin red cabbage
• 3/4 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or Chinese parsley
• 3 stalks green onions, chopped
• 4 large spinach or other flavored tortillas

For the sauce:

• 1/2 medium onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• 2 tablespoons or more chunky peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon low sodium shoyu
• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk

In a bowl, whisk together the shoyu, mirin and garlic. Add the tofu or chicken and marinate for an hour. Over each tortilla, spread 1/4 of the rice, leaving about a one-inch border on the sides and 2 inches on the bottom. Divide the tofu, chicken and vegetables evenly between the four tortillas. Wrap by turning up the bottom side, then wrap one side and roll tightly to form a roll. Cover with a barely damp towel until ready to eat.

To make the peanut sauce: In a skillet, saute the onion in the oil. Stir in the peanut butter, lemon juice, sugar, shoyu and chili pepper. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Stir in coconut milk and continue cooking until warm all the way through. Cool and serve with the tortilla wraps for dipping. Keeps in the refrigerator for about a week. Makes 2 1/2 cups sauce.

Serves 4.

Vietnamese Summer Rolls with Hoisin Sauce

• 1 cup cellophane noodles, soaked, cooked and cooled
• 4 sheets spring roll rice wraps
• Leaves from one bunch of fresh mint
• 4 sprigs Chinese parsley
• 8 cooked and peeled shrimp, or firm tofu or sliced fishcake
• 1/4 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup julienned carrots
• 1/4 cup julienned cucumber
• 4 tablespoons chopped dry roasted peanuts

For the sauce:

• 4 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
• 4 tablespoons water
• 4 tablespoons chopped peanuts
• 4 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce, optional

To make the summer rolls: Soak the noodles in warm water for about 15 minutes, drain and cook in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and cool, separating from time to time to avoid sticking. Place water in a shallow dish and dip the spring roll wrappers for 2 to 3 seconds. Remove and place on a plate or chopping board. Layer the noodles, vegetables and peanuts over the top, leaving an edge around the spring roll wrapper. Pick up the bottom edge and wrap it up. Then begin rolling from one side until you get about halfway. Add the mint leaves, Chinese parsley and shrimp. Continue to roll up. If you are not going to eat right away, cover the summer rolls with a damp towel and store at room temperature.

Make the hoisin dipping sauce: In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients. Drizzle rolls with sauce before eating. Serves 4.

Lumpia with Dipping Sauce

• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound uncooked shrimp, minced
• 1 cup green beans, julienned
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 tablespoon low sodium shoyu
• 24 lumpia wrappers
• Oil for deep frying

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons low sodium shoyu
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons catsup

In a skillet, saute the onion and garlic. Add the ground pork and cook until meat is almost cooked. Add the shrimp and vegetables and stir fry until tender. Stir in shoyu. To fill, place about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture in the center of the lumpia wrapper. Fold one edge over the filling, tuck in the other two sides and start to roll up tightly. Moisten the edge with water to seal. Continue with all the wrappers. Heat the frying oil to about 375 degrees and fry each roll until golden brown on the outside. Drain on absorbent paper towels.

Serve warm or cold with the dipping sauce. Makes 24 rolls. (You can also make these vegetarian by omitting the pork and shrimp and using tofu, bean sprouts, green onions, water chestnuts or shiitake mushrooms.)

To make the dipping sauce: In a saucepan, mix the rice vinegar, sugar, shoyu, garlic, salt and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then stir in the cornstarch mixture. Continue to cook, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and cool. Makes about 2 cups.