Ingredients

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 ½ tablespoons fermented fish sauce such as nuoc mam

2 ½ tablespoons lime juice from one lime

1 teaspoon table salt

3 ounces rice vermicelli

8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled with tails removed

1 large carrot, peeled and grated on large holes of box grater (about ½ cup)

⅓ cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

1 medium jalapeño chile or 2 Thai chillies, stemmed, seeded, and minced, or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 large cucumber (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut according to illustrations below

4 leaves red leaf lettuce or Boston lettuce, halved lengthwise

8 round rice paper wrappers (8 inches in diameter)

½ cup loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves or mint leaves, small leaves left whole, medium and large leaves torn into ½-inch pieces

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed

FOR THE SAUCE

¼ cup smooth peanut butter

¼ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon Asian chili sauce (optional)

2 teaspoons peanut oil or vegetable oil

2 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Combine sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice in small bowl; set aside.

2. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan. Stir in salt and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are opaque, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to small bowl. Stir in rice vermicelli. Cook until noodles are tender but not mushy, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse under cold running water until cool. Drain again and transfer to medium bowl; toss 2 tablespoons fish sauce mixture with noodles and set aside.

3. When shrimp is cool enough to handle, coarsely chop.

4. Combine carrot, peanuts, and jalapeño in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon fish sauce mixture; toss to combine. Toss cucumber in remaining 1 tablespoon fish sauce mixture.

5. MAKE SAUCE: Whisk peanut butter, hoisin sauce, water, tomato paste, and chili sauce, if using, in small bowl. Heat oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in small saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in peanut butter mixture; bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend, about 3 minutes. (Sauce should have ketchup-like consistency; if too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until proper consistency is reached.) Transfer to bowl; cool to room temperature.

6. Place lettuce on platter. Spread clean, damp kitchen towel on work surface. Fill 9-inch pie plate with 1 inch room-temperature water. Working one at a time, immerse each wrapper in water until just pliable, about 10 seconds; lay softened wrapper on towel. Scatter 6 Thai basil leaves and 6 cilantro leaves over wrapper. Arrange 5 cucumber sticks horizontally on wrapper (see illustration 1, below); top with 1 tablespoon carrot mixture, then arrange about 2 1/2 tablespoons noodles on top of carrot mixture. Place about 2 tablespoons of the chopped shrimp on top of noodles. Wrap spring roll according to illustrations 2 through 4, below; set on 1 lettuce piece on platter. Cover with second damp kitchen towel; repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Serve with dipping sauce, wrapping lettuce around exterior of each roll.