Rolling for a Good Cause Lumpia Shanghai
Our action group is hosting a fundraiser for one of only two Filipino-Asian American Representatives in the House, TJ Cox. Normally we would have finger food at an event and Filipino spring rolls, Lumpia, would be perfect. BUT, due to COVID, our event will be a virtual one. The next best thing? How about an online tutorial on how to make Lumpia so people could make their own to enjoy during the event. Sounds like a plan.
I was given 5 minutes for my “how to make Lumpia” video. I’ve watched a ton of Tasty videos, I can do this, uh-huh. Lumpia is the Filipino version of an Egg Roll. Filled with meat and vegetables and wrapped in a thin sheath made of flour, water, and salt. The rolls are fried to a crispy, golden finish. Crunchy, light, with a savory filling, in a word they are delicious.
Let’s Roll
The filling for Lumpia is made with ground beef or pork or a combination, I use 50:50. You can substitute ground chicken or turkey. Add to this, minced onions, grated carrots, shredded cabbage, and egg and seasonings. I like a combination of salt and soy sauce, minced garlic, ginger for a hint of sweetness, and a couple of grinds of pepper. The recipe can be halved.
That’s a Wrap
Vietnamese wrappers are made of rice paper while Chinese Egg Rolls are made with egg in the skin, are thicker, and when fried will have a bubbly surface. Lumpia are made with wheat flour, water, and salt and are super thin, resulting in a smooth surface, incredibly light and crispy roll.
The video shows two ways to wrap your Lumpia. The key is to wrap them tightly. This is done by tucking and pulling the wrapper taut while rolling. Seal the egg roll with egg wash and that’s it. Now repeat 50 times!
Added Bonus
Lumpia freezes beautifully. Lay the Lumpia on a baking sheet in a single layer and place in the freezer. When the lumpia is frozen, transfer to a zip lock bag and toss it back in the freezer. No need to defrost before frying, just add a couple of minutes onto the cooking time.
You can fry the Lumpia in a pan with approximately 1 inch of oil, flip them when they are golden brown to cook the top half, 2-3 minutes per side. They can also be deep-fried. Serve with your choice of dipping sauce such as Thai Chili Sauce, Vinegar-Soy dipping Sauce, or Banana Ketchup. Enjoy!
Lumpia Shanghai
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves finely grated
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 medium onion very finely chopped, about 1 cup
- 2 medium carrots grated on the large holes of a box grater, about 1 cup
- 4 scallions white and light green parts, very finely chopped
- 1 cup cabbage very thinly sliced
- 2 eggs 1 whole, 1 white and yolk separated
- 1 pound ground pork can substitute ground chicken
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 11-ounce packages lumpia wrapper or spring roll shells Recommend Menlo Wrappers found in freezer section in Asian markets
Changes and optional ingredients
- 1/4 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined Chop finely and add to ground meat mixture
- 1/2 cup water chesnuts substitute 1:1 for grated carrots
Instructions
- Combine garlic, onion, carrots, scallion, cabbage, salt, pepper, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk in a large bowl and mix until well blended. Add beef, pork, salt, and pepper and using a wooden spoon or your hands, mix until everything is evenly distributed.
- In a small bowl, whisk a splash of water into remaining egg white. Working one at a time, place lumpia wrapper on a work surface with 1 corner facing you. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in center of wrapper and shape into a thin horizontal 5-inch long log. Dip your fingers in remaining egg white mixture and lightly brush edges of wrapper. Roll bottom corner up and snugly over filling, then tuck under filling. Fold left and right corners tightly over filling to enclose, use your fingers to crease the wrapper, then continue to roll bundle away from you. Both sides should be as close to sealed as possible; use a little egg wash to seal, as necessary.
- In a large nonstick pan, fill bottom of pan until oil comes up 1 inch. Oil should cover lumpia at least halfway when frying; adjust amount if needed. Heat pan over medium-high heat. You’ll know oil is hot enough if you place the tip of lumpia into oil and it bubbles immediately. Cook lumpia, until deep golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to a wire rack lined with paper towels. You can serve whole or cut in half. Serve with Vinegar-Soy Dipping Sauce or sweet chili sauce.
Notes
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or finely chopped
1 Thai chile, thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Stir all ingredients together and decant into a small dish.