Vietnamese Jicama and Tofu Rolls (Bò Bía Chay)
Author: Katie Le | Katie’s Test Kitchen
Ingredients
- 1 jicama (about 1 lb), removed the thick skin with a knife and julienned
- 1-2 carrots (optional), removed skin and julienned
- 8 pieces of fried tofu (about 2 lbs, you can purchased fried tofu at your local stores or deep fry them yourself using firm tofu), sliced to about 1/4 of a inch thick
- 8-10 eggs (added about 1 tbsp of water, mixed well)
- 1 pack of rice paper (my favorite brand is Mekong)
- 2 pieces of garlic, smashed
- Vegetables: green lettuce or romaine, various herbs such as mint, basil, perilla, Vietnamese coriander (rau ram)
- 1/2 to 1 cup of roasted peanuts – Click here for recipe to roast peanuts using your Air Fryer!
- Mushroom seasoning
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- Cooking oil
Hoisin Peanut Sauce
- 1 tbsp of minced garlic
- 1 tbsp of cooking oil
- 1.5 cup of water
- 1 cup of Hoisin Sauce
- 4 tbsp of sugar
- 5 tbsp of peanut butter, creamy or chunky
- ground fresh chili paste (optional, add at serving)
Directions
- Jicama/Carrot – In a deep skillet on medium heat, add about 3-4 tbsp of cooking oil. Add smashed garlic to release fragrance then gently add your julienned jicama and carrot. Stir and saute until they are slightly wilted. Season with about 1/2 tsp of sea salt, 1 tsp of sugar and 2 tbsp of mushroom seasoning (optional to add a few dashes of pepper). Cater to your taste! Turn off heat and remove from skillet.
- Eggs – In a 10 or 12 inch pan, add 2 tbsp of oil. Once it’s hot slowly pour in your egg mixture. Tilt the pan and allow the uncooked eggs to flow to the edge similar to how you would make an omelette! Once the bottom side is set gently flip to the other side using a spatula and cook until the eggs are done. Remove and thinly slice to about 1/2 inch width.
- Hoisin Peanut Sauce – Heat up 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a sauce pan, once it’s hot add minced garlic. Once garlic releases fragrance pour in 1.5 cup of water and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in 1 cup of Hoisin sauce, 4 tbsp of sugar and about 5 tbsp of peanut butter. Mix well and taste the sauce. Make adjustment as necessary to cater to your taste. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Vegetables – Triple wash lettuces and your favorite herbs, drain to dry and set aside. You can use the salad spinner to help dry the vegetables.
- The Rolling Process – Typically I start with dipping the rice paper into water then place it on a flat surface such as a cutting board or a large plate. Add lettuce on bottom end and leave about 1 inch of space on each side. Layer with my favorite herbs, then follow with some saute jicama/carrot and a few roasted peanuts. Fold the bottom of the rice paper to cover those items above, make it tight. Fold the 2 sides in, then place 2 slices of fried tofu on the rice paper and make one more fold to cover the tofu. Continue rolling until you reach the end of the rice paper. Tips: Don’t soak the rice paper in water for too long. Don’t wait too long to start rolling after you have soaked the rice paper. If not consumed immediately cover each roll individually with plastic food wrap to prevent rice paper from drying up.
- Serving – When ready to serve, add Hoisin Peanut Sauce to a small bowl, and some ground fresh chili paste if you like it spicy. Dip your roll into the sauce and enjoy! Note: You can also add sauce directly inside the rolls in step 5 if you don’t like to dip!
I just try this recipe and it was delicious! Even my husband was impressed. This dish will be a staple in our family. Thanks Katie!