Crispy tofu summer rolls w mango salsa, avocado and tahini dipping sauce

I love small, casual get togethers with family, friends and good food. Yummy brunches, lunches or dinners, preferably consisting smaller dishes/share food/food that you will assembly by the table, and good company are among the best things there is! Imagine gather a bunch of foodie friends, dish up with a few bits and pieces and make these amazing summer rolls! You can really fill your rice paper wrappers with almost anything – use left overs or whatever you crave at the moment.

I think that the combination of raw veggies, creamy avokado, sweet mango and crispy tofu is just amazing. And together with lots of cilantro – as I just happen to love that herb – this is my best summer rolls recipe. If you don’t like cilantro use only thai basil or substitute for your favorite herb.

In this recipe I marinate the tofu for extra flavor and then coat it in corn flour before frying it – it’s the perfect way to make tofu really crispy without deep frying it. That – along with the amazing flavors and textures – makes this a healthy, vegan and gluten free recipe which is hard to not go crazy about. I serve these rolls with a really simple, but yet extremely yummy, tahini dipping sauce. It’s all you need. Try if for your self!

Crispy tofu summer rolls w mango salsa, avocado and tahini dipping sauce

Makes 12 rolls

300 g extra firm tofu

3 tbsp corn flour  

2 tbsp rape seed oil

12 rice paper wrappers

Tofu marinade

1 tbsp sun flower oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp tamari, or regular soy sauce

1 garlic clove

1/2 tbsp dried basil

Tahini dipping sauce

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp tamari, or regular soy sauce

1 tsp rice vinegar

1 garlic clove

1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

3-4 tbsp water to thin

Sweet mango salsa

200 g frozen mango

3 spring onions

1/2 red chili, or more if you like it to be hot

1 organic lime, zest + juice

a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

2 pinches himalayan salt

1 pinch freshly groound black pepper

Extras

red cabbage

1 large ripe avocado

sunflower sprouts

baby spinach

fresh herbs, preferably cilantro and thai basil

For serving

lime

fresh cilantro

sesame seeds

How to

Remove the tofu from the packaging. Line a plate with a paper towel and place the tofu on top. Put another plate on the tofu and press it using something heavy (like a can of beans, crushed tomatoes etc). Let press for 30 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients for the tofu marinade. Drain excess liquid from the tofu and slice the pressed tofu into sticks (12 sticks for 12 rolls). In a shallow dish toss around the sticks with the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes.

Mix all the ingredients for the tahini dipping sauce. You might want to use a bit more water to get your preferred texture.

Thaw and roughly chop the mango. Wash and finely slice the spring onions. Remove seeds and finely chop the chili. Mix all the ingredients for the mango salsa and set aside.

Slice the red cabbage finely lengthwise. Peel, pit and slice the avocado in to wedges. Wash the sun flower sprouts. Wash the baby spinach.

Put the corn flour on a plate and roll the tofu sticks in it, making sure they get completely coated (this will make them very crispy). Put a frying pan on medium heat, drizzle with rape seed oil. Check the heat by putting one tofu stick in the pan – If you hear a sizzling sound you know the heat is right! Put the rest of the marinated and coated tofu sticks in the pan and fry on all sides until golden brown. Transfer tofu sticks to a cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes.

To assemble the rolls, pour lukewarm water in a pie dish and dip one rice paper at a time in the water for 10-15 seconds. The rice paper should get soft, but not too soft and “flabby”! Transfer rice paper to a damp plastic cutting board.

On the bottom of the rice paper put about 3 leafs of baby spinach, some red cabbage, sun flower sprouts, a good tbsp of the mango salsa, an avocado wedge, a tofu stick and some fresh herbs. Gently (but steady) fold over once, fold in each end and continue rolling until the seam is sealed. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the roll. Do the same thing with the rest of the rice paper wrappers and the filling.

Serve rolls with lime wedges, fresh herbs and the tahini dipping sauce.