At this time of year, we need something spicy to give us that warm comforting heat and I am excited to share these unique recipes with you. I am going to challenge you by introducing different types of food textures: dishes that are chewy yet crispy, dishes which I can guarantee will satisfy your taste buds.

I recommend this great use for Brussels sprouts, one which picky eaters will not even realise features the often-detested green spheres! Have a great festive season.

What you will need:

• 100g Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 egg – scramble the egg then set aside (if you are vegetarian, you can substitute this with tofu)
• 8 slices of pepperoni – you can even use prawns
• 8 rice paper sheets – now available in local supermarkets in the Asian cooking section
• 1 tbsp of soya sauce
• Warm water – to soften the rice paper sheets
• 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil for frying

How to make:

1. Make the fillings

Set the hob to a medium heat. In a frying pan, add the chopped garlic then the scrambled egg. Mix them well then throw in the chopped Brussels sprouts and saute them together until they are all well mixed. This will probably take 2-3 minutes. Let it cool and set aside.

2. Make the little parcels

I say ‘little parcels’ because they look like cute little parcels. Please see the pictures below to know how exactly to fold the rice paper sheets.

First, dip each of the rice paper sheets into the warm water for about 2 seconds. It will become a bit floppy.

Then add fillings, starting with the pepperoni at the base, then the Brussels sprouts and eggs fillings. Keep repeating the process for each parcel.

Fold them nicely into a square as below.

3. Make it crispy

This is the last step of this cooking process. Set the hob to high and add 1-2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, gently place in 2-3 little parcels, cooking for 2-3 minutes on each side. The oil has to be hot to make the rice paper skin crispy. Don’t let them touch each other or they may stick together!

4. Serve

You can serve with a little bit of lettuce or chopped coriander leaves. For the sauce use chopped chilli and soya sauce. You could also use sriracha or sweet chilli sauce for dipping.

Dina Watt, an Indonesian now living in Aberdeenshire, is known as the Indonesian Cook. Dina’s love of nature and gardening fuels her passion for cooking using home-grown ingredients. She appeared on BBC’s ‘Beechgrove’ in 4 episodes in 2021.

In her column, Dina shares her own adventurous recipes for delicious home-cooked meals that are easy to make using home-grown, seasonal fruits and vegetables from her own kitchen garden. She is passionate about using every bit of the plant in order to practise zero-waste principles.