Substitutes for Fish Sauce and Shrimp Paste plus Recipe

[Guest guest]

Chad Jester wrote:

 

> I was reviewing some of my recipes to share with you.

> I noticed, however, that many of my Thai / VN curry

> recipes use Shrimp Paste and / or Fish Sauce. I

> suspect both of these are off-limits for strict

> vegans. Anyhow, I anyone has found good vegan

> substitutes for these ingredients, I would like to try

> the recipes with them. If they turn out OK, I'll

> share the recipes. I just don't want to pass out

> recipes using ingredients I haven't tested.

 

We get a soy sauce called Nuoc Mam Chay Pha San from the local

Vietnamese market. It is an excellent substitute for fish sauce and has

no fish in it. It also makes a very nice dipping sauce for fried spring

rolls, summer rolls, etc (although a squeeze of lime and some minced

garlic make it even better). The ingredients are Soy Sauce, Chilis,

Salt, Sugar and Water.

 

Speaking of yummy summer rolls:

 

When I originally got this recipe, it didn't have the mango in it, and

it was still pretty tasty. We happened to have one on hand and decided

to give it a try and it turned out to be excedingly delicious.

 

Vietnamese Vegetarian Spring Rolls

 

1 package (10-oz) rice sticks (noodles)

3/4 cup vinegar, rice wine

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 head leaf lettuce; washed, in small pieces

1 cup carrots; shredded

1 single cucumber; peeled, seeded, julienned

20 leaves basil, fresh

20 leaves mint, fresh; stems removed

1 bunch green onions

1 single mango; peeled, pit removed, cut in small stips

20 single rice paper rounds (8 1/2-in)

 

Cut the green onions in 3-inch pieces (at least 20 pieces); save the white

ends for another use.

 

Cook vermicelli in boiling water about 2 minutes just until done. Rinse

with cold water and drain well. Toss noodles with vinegar, sugar and salt.

 

Prepare vegetables and set up in assembly line. At beginning of line, set a

pan of hot water wide enough to dip spring roll wrappers.

 

Dip one spring roll wrapper into the hot water just long enough to soften,

but no longer than 10 seconds. Lay softened wrapper on a flat surface, with

a long edge facing you. Working quickly so wrapper does not dry out, place

a piece of lettuce in the center of the wrapper, then, taking care not to

overfill, top with a small mound of noodles, followed by grated carrots,

one or two cucumber sticks, several slices of mango and one each basil leaf

and mint leaf.

 

Roll up bottom edge of the wrapper, then fold in the sides. Insert a

scallion so that an inch or so protrudes from one end of the roll, then

roll up the remaining wrapper. The finished roll should look like a spring

roll with a bit of scallion sticking out of one end. Repeat with remaining

spring rolls.

 

Serve immediately or keep well-covered until serving. Serve with Spicy

Peanut Sauce for dipping.

 

Note: Rice paper wrappers and rice sticks are available Asian

markets as well as in some supermarkets.

 

Have all ingredients ready before assembling rolls

 

Yield: 20 rolls.