Homemade fresh African salad rolls with easy peanut palm dipping sauce can be made for a light dinner or as an appetiser before a hearty main dish.

This was the guests’ favourite from our August 2020 Supper Club (see reviews). For me, it was a taste of home, a quick flashback to my grandma coming into town with all the pure organic local goodies ready to hit my taste buds in the best ways. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have/ did/ do ;)

Prep Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

For Peanut Palm Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tablespoons palm oil
1 tablespoon potash powder
2 tablespoons ground crayfish
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce or any pepper sauce
1–2 Tablespoons warm water, or more as needed
optional garnish: crushed peanuts, sprinkle of crushed red pepper
For salad filling:
10 spring roll rice paper wrappers
1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
1 large cucumber, julienned (you can peel, but I don’t)
1/2 of a large red pepper, julienned
1/3 cup chopped purple cabbage
1/2 cup ugba (oil bean seed), lightly cooked or soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
1 cup soaked/ lightly cooked abacha (cassava flakes)
Handful fresh cilantro (and/or mint, basil)
5 large green lettuce leaves (romaine, butter, etc), torn in half
100g shredded smoked mackerel

Instructions

Prepare/ Chop/ Cook/ Slice all ingredients before assembly.
Prepare the dipping sauce:
1. Dissolve the potash powder in warm water and pour mixture into the palm oil, stirring as you go. Colour should turn to a rich orange as you mix.
2. Then, using a food processor, add all ingredients for the dipping sauce to the potash/ palm mix and blend together.
3. You may add more warm water (in 1 tbsp increments) if dip is too thick, until you reach desired thinness. Pour into a serving bowl and top with garnish. Set aside.
Prepare the rice paper wrappers:
1. Pour warm water into a large bowl or 9-inch square or round baking pan.
2. Working with one at a time, dip the rice paper wrapper into the warm water for 15-20 seconds (or whatever the package suggests). The wrapper is meant to be soft, yet still slightly firm and pliable.
3. Immediately remove from the water and place flat onto a work surface such as a large plastic or ceramic cutting board.
4. Pat the wrapper slightly dry. Be careful to maintain the shape and not let the paper fold or overlap.
Filling the wrappers:
1. Place a few strands of carrot, cucumber, red pepper, and a sprinkle of shredded cabbage on top of the bottom third of the rice paper.
2. Then, lay all the other ingredients in bits with the mackerel and oil bean seed (ugba) at the top. Be careful not to overstuff the roll.
3. Start small then add more, as needed, until you achieve the right quantity you desire, as you roll each one.
Rolling the wrappers:
1. Roll everything up tightly. To do so, gently pull up the bottom of the roll and roll over the filling. Then, roll sideways and use your hands to tuck the filling in as you go. It’s exactly how you would roll a shawarma!
2. Remember, you want it very tight so it doesn't unravel while you eat.