Green papaya Spring rolls

Fresh fruity salad Spring rolls.

A green papaya from… the North. It’s produced in Aichi prefecture. Well, with these long hot Summers, they can easily grow tropical fruits.

As you can see, the fruit “sweats” a milky liquid. I was surprised to find so few grains in it.

Cress greens, cucumber sticks, the grated papaya (mixed with kabosu lime juice). The powder is sesame, goji berries and a little salt.

Wrapped in rice paper.

Served with sweet chili sauce.

As a side : abura age (fried tofu pockets) filled with kurigohan (chestnut rice), then toasted.

Fresh wasabi Spring rolls

Heat wave lunch ! The weather is cooking us. Wasabi is a refreshing spice, ideal for the season.

A root of wasabi.

Dices of wasabi.

Chirimen-jako (small dried fish).

Mixed in with natto and tsuyu sauce.

Inside full veggie Spring rolls.

Served with tomato juice.

Masala fresh rolls

Today’s Spring rolls.

Here are all the ingredients. As you can see a garam masala Indian spice mix…

Mushrooms and avocado sprinkled with lemon juice. Onion and goya bitter squash are sliced, salted and later rinsed. Grated red cabbage and bell pepper.

Steamed bean sprouts.

Natto.

On rice paper. Roll and serve fresh.

Kabocha nems

A free variation of nems (Vietnamese fried Spring rolls) to empty my fridge and rejoice my tastebuds.

I had green soy beans (read more here) to use.

Steamed kabocha, boiled green soy beans, onion… plus a good amount of turmeric and curry spices.

Rolled in rice-paper, painted with oil all over.

Grilled in the oven toaster, served with parsley.

A dip of black rice vinegar, chili pepper, a little soy sauce.

Mitsuba and Spring roll du jour

Hot weather is back and Spring roll addiction too. They are never exactly the same. Is there a more convenient way to eat a large variety of raw vegetables ?

三つ葉 mitsuba means “3 leaves” in Japanese. It’s a very common herb here. I’d say it’s Japanese coriander. It is not so strong, it’s different but if you ate some you’d think about coriander or cilantro.
It is not great to cook it, so it’s added to salads, to garnish a soup.

The base is grated Japanese turnip, with some leaves. I’ve let it a while and squeezed excess water.

Gochujang (Korean spicy miso) + natto.

Cucumbers.