Organic Flower and Vegetable Fresh Spring Rolls
A recipe by Anak Navaraj, Thailand
About Entrepreneur Anak Navaraj
Photographer and Founder of Patom Organic Living, Anak Navaraj is connecting organic farmers to Bangkokians. His passion for organics grew when his family’s hotel business, Sampran Riverside, started growing their own organic fruits and vegetables in their certified organic farm. This was made possible by Anak’s brother, Arrut Navaraj, who is the founder of the Sookjai Foundation; an organization supporting organic farmers in Thailand. Anak and his brother started to develop the organic harvest into organic body care and food products by using traditional Thai wisdom and modern methods. Their flagship store in the heart of Bangkok offers all of these organic products, fruits and vegetables, coffee, and fresh organic food.
What inspires you to eat less meat? What inspires you to eat more plants? What inspires you to eat less meat and more plants?
Eating more organic veggie food is not only good for ourselves but it is also good for our planet. Eating more vegetables is good for our mental and physical health. The seasonality of vegetables and herbs challenges us to think about which vegetables or herbs we include for each meal. And for our planet, eco-farming maintains the balance of the soil by not using the chemicals. Think about the industrial vegetable farms that use chemicals, once the rain comes, the chemicals will travel from the soil to the river which ,eventually, will come back to our bodies.
This recipe is a modern-twist on the favourite Thai spring rolls. It is perfect as healthy appetiser, or cocktail party snacking! This aromatic and delicate-looking bite offers surprisingly bold and tangy flavors and nutritional benefits with minimal prep time. The chef proudly highlights the organic Damask rose, the signature flower from Sampran that wraps the whole punchy stuffing together with an aromatic scent. The menu also opens up for creativity, as you can customise any seasonal vegetables and herbs for your desired colors and texture.
Flower and Vegetable Spring Rolls
4 pieces
Preparation & cooking time: 20 mins
Ingredients*
25g Napa cabbage
25g Chinese cabbage
50g Japanese potato
Damask Rose (or any small rose)
25g ixora (or any edible flower)
25 peppermint
37.5g cabbage
6g rice paper
5g soy sauce
2.5g brown sugar
2.5g vegetable oil
* All the vegetables could be changed ie. Japanese potatoes could be replaced with pumpkin or butternut squash or any seasonal vegetable.
Dipping Sauce (spicy and sour)
5g soy sauce
5g lime juice
4.5g brown sugar
1g bird’s eye chili**
1.8g garlic
1g coriander root
**This recipe is a medium level of spicy in Thailand, add/reduce the amount of chillies as preferred.
Method
1. Slice Napa Cabbage, Choy, Japanese potato and Cabbage.
2. Pour the oil into the pan and wait until it heats up a bit. Add the prepared vegetables; stir-fry until cooked. Season with brown sugar and soy sauce; continue stirring until it’s well mixed. Then let it cool.
3. Cut a sheet of rice paper into 4 equal sheets.
4. Soften a piece of rice paper by soaking in water.
5. Put 2 -3 rose petals, 1–2 peppermint leaves, and approximately 1 tablespoon of stir-fried vegetables on the piece of rice paper and wrap.
6. Serve with tangy dipping sauce.
For more about Anak Navaraj, follow and connect with him on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patom.organics/
