Vietnamese made easy: Perfecting authentic at-home eats

This is advertorial content for Roll'd

As much as we wish we did, most of us don't have a Vietnamese bà (grannie) at home to whip us up her famed rice paper rolls whenever the whim takes us. That's where Roll'd comes in.

Their new range means you can make authentic Vietnamese delights like delicious rice paper "Soldier" rolls and giant bún (rice noodle) bowls at home, or add their sauces to ramp up the flavour on any dish you want to make sing. And you can rest assured these are dishes that any bà would be proud to call theirs, because that's exactly what they are: recipes passed down through generations of the Hoang family.

That means beautifully crafted Roll'd vermicelli noodles and rice paper with no nasties: just pure deliciousness. It means adding fresh herbs that dance on your palate, and charry meat, fish or tofu that contrast against all that freshness. Roll'd's classic Nouc Mam sauce is everything you want in a seasoning: sweet and sour with a salty, chilli bite. As for their Hoisin, you've got two choices: garlicky Spicy Hoisin or peanutty Sticky Hoisin – you be the judge.

Or go the Chilli Mayo for a hit of creaminess amongst all that health and purity.

Watch the full clip to learn how to roll BBQ Chicken Soldiers

To make traditional Hoang family rice paper rolls, grab some Roll'd Vietnamese Rice Paper, and cook some Roll'd Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodles as per the packet instructions. Prep some iceberg lettuce, shredding it up; cut up some cucumber into batons; and wash and dry some fresh coriander and mint, picking the leaves but keeping them whole. Grab some crispy shallots and sesame seeds and buy a barbecued chicken from the shop (or DIY – whatever your preference).

Take a big bowl, fill it with warm water, and lay everything out on the worktop – it's time to rock and roll. Roll'd is all about family; fitting a family of 12 around a table of 6; so, this is a great point to get the kids involved.

Dip a rice paper sheet in warm water, shake it off, and lay it out on your Roll'd Rolling Tray. Now, build up your layers, adding a sprinkling of sesame seeds first so you can see their speckled beauty once it's finished. Keep everything in a roughly rectangular shape and don't overfill – you want the rice paper to wrap all the way round the filling (and there's plenty of time for seconds).

Take the bottom of the rice paper roll, fold and tuck under the ingredients, fold both sides in and complete the roll. Then, repeat. These are perfect at dinnertime, but because they can be prepared ahead.

Want to up the fun factor? Try laying out the ingredients on the table and let everyone make up their own rolls as they eat. Kids (and let's be honest, adults too) will love making their rolls to their own (diligent) specifications.

Whichever way you do it, fill some small dishes with Roll'd Vietnamese Sticky Hoisin and Roll'd Vietnamese Spicy Hoisin, so each person can dip how they see fit.

Are your family/guests more into big, heaving bowls of food, rather than the more delicate stuff? Then try a bún bowl on them. It's clean, bright and healthy, while also being so packed full of various flavours and textures that it will keep everybody interested until the last morsel.

For a classic prawn bún, you can use cooked prawns if time is of the essence, but if you've got time, then buy them raw and barbecue or grill them to smoky, crunchy perfection. Cook some Roll'd Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodles as per the packet instructions, and all the hot work is done.

Then it's just a case of shredding up lettuce (iceberg is good for crunch), cutting up cucumber and grabbing some fresh herbs (coriander and mint always work a treat) and a bag of bean shoots. In a bowl, layer the bean shoots, then the bún vermicelli noodles, lettuce, herbs, and cucumber, then top with prawns and a crispy layer of fried shallots.

Drizzle over some Roll'd Vietnamese Nuoc Mam and serve, letting everyone mix everything together with their chopsticks before digging in.

We can't exactly hop on a plane to Vietnam right now, but we can bring Vietnam to us.

From fresh Roll'd Vietnamese Soldiers to delicious Bún's, consider dinner sorted. Try your hand at these two delicious recipes using the iconic flavours you love.

BBQ Chicken Rice Paper Roll

Featuring Roll'd Rice Paper and Vermicelli Noodles

Serves: 4

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 Roll'd Vietnamese Rice Paper sheets
• 2 cups Roll'd Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodles, cooked
• 2 cups iceberg, shredded
• 8 sprigs of coriander, picked
• 8 cucumber batons/sticks, 8cm in length
• 8-12 mint leaves
• Fried Shallots
• Sesame Seeds
• Flavoured/seasoned BBQ chicken
• warm water (approx. 3L)
• Roll'd Rolling Tray or similar non-stick surface

Best served with Roll'd Vietnamese Sticky Hoisin or Spicy Hoisin sauces.

Method

1. To make the rice paper rolls, dunk the rice paper sheets into a large bowl of warm water, shake off any excess water and lay on the Roll'd rolling tray or similar non-stick surface. Repeat with all the rice paper sheets.
2. Place the cucumber on the bottom third of the rice paper on each.
3. Sprinkle sesame seeds just above the centre of the rice paper.
4. Place the coriander and mint in the centre of the rice paper.
5. Position the vermicelli noodles on top of cucumber.
6. Scatter fried shallots, lettuce and BBQ chicken on top of vermicelli noodles.
7. Take the bottom of the rice paper roll, fold and tuck under the ingredients, fold both sides in and complete the roll.

Roll'd tip: This rice paper roll is best dipped in the Roll'd Vietnamese Sticky Hoisin sauce. Dial up the heat and enjoy with Roll'd Vietnamese Spicy Hoisin.

Prawn Noodle Salad (Bún)

Bright, zesty and healthy – this Prawn Bún will be an assured hit with the entire table!

Featuring Roll'd Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodles, Roll'd Nouc Mam sauce

Serves: 2

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 200g raw peeled prawns (can be store bought cooked)
• 2 cups Roll'd Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodles, cooked
• 1 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 8 sprigs coriander, picked
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut lengthways, seeds removed and sliced 5mm thick
• 8 sprigs mint, picked
• 1 cup bean shoots
• 2 tablespoon fried shallots
• 1/2 cup Roll'd Vietnamese Nuoc Mam

Method

1. Lightly grease a grill or fry pan and place on stovetop. Grill peeled prawns on medium heat for 2-3 minutes each side.
2. In two bowls, start by layering the bean shoots, then the Bún vermicelli noodles, iceberg lettuce, herbs, cucumber and top with prawns and fried shallots.
3. Drizzle Roll'd Nuoc Mam over each bowl and serve.

Roll'd tip: The best way to eat is to mix everything together with chopsticks and enjoy.