Spring rolls are like culinary artists' little masterpieces, loved across Asia. Imagine stuffing tasty meats and veggies into a crispy wrap—that's the secret! These delights aren't just confined to Asia; they've travelled to Europe and Latin America, adapting along the way. You can stuff them with whatever you like! Grilled veggies, minced meat, bananas, or chocolate—your call. The outer layer is like a magic dough filled with goodness, deep-fried to a perfect golden brown. So, whether you're in Asia or beyond, these crispy wonders bring joy to taste buds everywhere! Here are seven dishes that pair beautifully with this starter to make it a balanced meal or offer a variety of options for your meal:
Fried Rice
Fried rice works well as a side dish to spring rolls due to the contrast in texture. Fried rice is a popular dish and an ideal accompaniment to many gravies, stir-fries, and more in many Asian countries, as well as in American and European cuisine.
It's simple to make at home: cook some rice, then add some vegetables like carrots and onions, eggs, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Then combine everything, and you are done. Fried rice can also be made from your leftover rice, which makes this a handy dish. The crispy spring rolls go well with soft, mildly spiced rice, and it is often the most common side dish with spring rolls.
Vegetable Stir-Fry
The vegetable stir-fry introduces a variety of veggies beyond those present in the spring rolls. This diversity not only adds visual appeal to the meal but also contributes different flavours and textures. Spring rolls already boast a veggie filling, and the vegetable stir-fry builds on this foundation, providing an extra layer of richness and complexity to the overall taste.
The combination of veggies in both dishes creates a more satisfying and wholesome bite. A vegetable stir-fry is a quick and straightforward dish that retains the nutritional goodness of the vegetables. In just 15 minutes, you can prepare a delightful and nutritious vegetable stir-fry to accompany your spring rolls. This quick turnaround time makes it an ideal option for those seeking a balanced and efficient meal, particularly during hectic schedules or on busy days.
Sushi
Spring rolls are known for their crispiness and light flavours, while sushi offers a contrasting taste and texture. The combination of the soft, rice-filled sushi with the crunchy spring rolls creates a dynamic and satisfying mouthfeel. Spring rolls are a popular choice for parties due to their easy-to-handle nature and crowd-pleasing appeal. By introducing sushi to the party menu, you offer a diverse range of flavours and presentations, catering to varied preferences and elevating the overall dining experience.
When seeking a more substantial option than spring rolls alone, sushi provides a filling and satisfying addition to the meal. Sushi's light and fresh texture, particularly when made with raw fish, contrasts well with the denser and cooked components of spring rolls. Sushi is renowned for its delicious and nuanced flavour profile, featuring a combination of fresh fish, vegetables, rice, and seaweed. The umami-rich elements in sushi complement the lighter and savoury flavours of spring rolls, creating a harmonious blend.
Chow Mein Noodles
You can pair your spring rolls with one of the most popular Chinese dishes, and it will taste fantastic. As both dishes have Asian origins, they have flavours that complement each other nicely. The delicate and soft noodles and crispy fried spring rolls taste amazing.
This traditional noodle dish is made by stir-frying noodles with a variety of ingredients, such as tofu, veggies, and, at times, meat and soy sauce, which lends the noodles their signature flavour. Both dishes complement each other perfectly thanks to the different flavours and textures.
Dumplings
Another popular Asian dish that is liked all around the world, including India, is dumplings. They are somewhat comparable to spring rolls, but spring rolls are deep-fried and dumplings are usually steamed.
Dumplings, just like spring rolls, can be made with a variety of fillings, such as meat, veggies, mushrooms, paneer, tofu, fish, and more. Spring rolls, on the other hand, are usually made from vegetables and meat fillings.
You can pair dumplings, which usually have a meat filling, with spring rolls to get the best of both worlds. The soft texture of steamed dumplings also provides a different mouthfeel than spring rolls while complementing it well. Pair your spring rolls and dumplings with some amazing sauces and chutneys, like spicy tomato chutney, green chutney, or mayonnaise, for the best experience.
Mac And Cheese
This dish is comfort food for many. This simple yet iconic dish adds another feather to its hat by being a great dish to pair with spring rolls.
The soft and creamy texture, along with its cheesy flavour, pairs exceptionally well with the crispy crust of spring rolls. As spring rolls on their own could feel dry at times, they are balanced with the creamy and smooth texture and flavour of mac and cheese. It even has the potential to become your favourite pairing.
Dipping Sauces
Anything tastes better with dipping sauces, and spring rolls are no different. This is very simple, as you can take out any dipping sauce that you prefer, and it will instantly elevate your spring rolls.
There are a variety of sauces that you can try with spring rolls, such as hoisin sauce, sweet chilli dip, tomatoes and garlic dip, Thai peanut sauce, chilli sauce, soy-ginger sauce, and more. They will add a distinct tang and flavour to your rolls, depending on the sauce. So make sure you try these amazing sauces and find what works best for you.