Recipes
Probably one of the most notorious foods in Filipino cuisine, lumpia is our version of the asian egg roll, or spring roll, as some call them. There are many types of lumpia in the Philippines. I may post more recipes of other variations. This is the infamous Lumpiang Shanghai, usually a hit of every Filipino family gathering. These lumpias are typically filled with pork and shrimp, and are as much fun to make as they are to eat. Many people make them in their own way, but this is my version of my mom’s recipe. I tried my best to give measurements to the ingredients, as I usually do this from my head without measuring, so I hope you like it.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground pork/beef/chicken OR peeled raw shrimp (made into a paste via food processor) *see note
- 2 eggs
- 2 packages of 8-inch spring roll pastry/lumpia wrapper (25 sheets per package — suggested brands: Wei Chuan, Spring Home, etc )
- 1 large onion, finely chopped (I use the food processor to get a fine chop)
- 8 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 carrot, shredded or super-finely diced
- 1 can water chestnut (8 ounces), drain and chopped (optional)
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt (and more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Vegetable, canola, or peanut oil, for frying
- Thai chili sauce, sweet & sour sauce, or banana ketchup, for dipping
Instructions
- Using a large bowl, combine the two pounds of ground meat, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, water chestnut, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Worchestershire sauce, eggs, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Mix well. Test a small piece by heating in the microwave and taste [I’m a big advocate for tasting food as I cook—it ensures a great end product]. Add salt to taste, if needed. If there’s time, cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors marinate.
- Carefully peel and separate lumpia wrappers and set aside.
- Place one wrapper on a flat board and scoop around 2 tablespoon of filling. Spread the filling like a long stick in the end of the wrapper.
- Roll the log forward, leaving about 2 inches from the other edge, and use warm water to moisten and seal the lumpia log. Place logs on a cookie sheet.
- Perform the same step until you run out of the pork filling.
- Cover the cookie sheet of rolled lumpia with foil, and freeze for at least two hours up to one day. While frozen, cut logs into 3 pieces and portion them into plastic freezer bags for later use, or fry using the instructions below. Uncooked frozen lumpia can last in the freezer for up to 6 months.
How to cook the lumpia
- Heat pot and add enough cooking oil over medium-high heat.
- Deep fry lumpia a few at a time. Do not overcrowd the lumpia or they will not crisp.
- Deep fry lumpia for about 3 to 4 minutes or until wrapper turns golden brown and crispy. Flip them in the pan if needed.
- Remove fried lumpia from pot and drain to remove excess oil.
- Serve lumpia warm with your favorite dipping sauce like sweet chili sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or banana ketchup. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ground Meat – I tend to always use at least 1 part ground pork with another part ground meat of choice. Ground pork generally has fat, which adds moisture and richness to the filling. This recipe is 1 pound pork plus 1 pound ground meat of choice. However, I’ve made this using all ground chicken for those who avoid red meat, and it comes out fine. I’ve also used 2 pounds lean ground beef, and for some reason found it very dry.
- Lumpia Wrapper – These tend to work best stored in the freezer and then thawed at room temperature right before using. I love using Wei Chuan or Spring Home 8 inch squares. They are the best quality, but use care in peeling them apart.