Just the other day, we shared the recipe for chicken adobo. Today, we’d like to share about another popular dish that’s become a favourite during Filipino fiestas, parties, or even ordinary days… the pritong lumpia, which is also called lumpiang shanghai or spring rolls.
Basically, lumpia is the Filipino version of spring rolls or egg rolls, which are widely known across Asia. Its basic ingredients include ground pork, onions, and carrots, along with seasonings like salt and pepper, though anyone can add fillings and spices to their liking.
How to Cook Filipino Fried Lumpia
Of course, another main component of fried lumpia is the wrapper. For this recipe, we considered store-bought lumpia wrappers, which are available in most groceries and supermarkets. These wrappers vary in size and thickness; it’s up to you which type you prefer in making your lumpia.
As mentioned earlier, lumpia filling consists mainly of ground pork, carrots, onion, though spices such as salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sesame oil are added to enhance flavour. Eggs are also added to bind all the ingredients together and to keep them from separating during frying.
Preparing and cooking lumpia is easy and fun! In just 25 minutes, you can make a batch of 50 spring rolls… depending on how fast you can wrap them, of course!
Ingredients
- 50 pieces lumpia wrapper
- 3 cups cooking oil
For the filling:
- 1 1/2 lbs ground pork
- 2 pieces carrots (minced)
- 2 pieces onion (minced)
- 2 eggs (beaten)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
Procedure
- Combine all ingredients for the filling in a bowl and mix them well.
- Scoop 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling onto a piece of lumpia wrapper.
- Spread the filling, fold both sides of the wrapper over it, then fold the bottom. Brush some beaten egg mixture on the top and roll until the lumpia is completely wrapped.
- Repeat steps #2 and #3 until all the filling has been wrapped.
- Heat oil in a cooking pot.
- Deep fry the lumpia in medium heat until it floats.
- Remove the lumpia from the pot and let the excess oil drip.
- Serve while hot and enjoy your lumpia!
Although lumpia is often served as an appetizer, it can also be the main dish (or viand) in itself! You can eat it as finger food, or with cooked white rice. Don’t forget to add banana ketchup or sweet and sour sauce as dipping, for those who’d like some extra oomph to their lumpia!
Variations of Lumpia
We used ground pork in this recipe, but keep in mind that the lumpia is a very “flexible” dish! You can replace the meat filling with fish flakes (e.g. tuna, milk fish, etc.). As a vegetarian option, you can also make lumpiang gulay (vegetable spring rolls) using different kinds of vegetables like carrots, potatoes, celery, bean sprouts, and more.
For dessert, have you ever tried turon? This is basically ripe banana dipped in brown sugar, placed in a lumpia wrapper, then deep friend until golden brown. As you can see, there are different ways of making lumpia, just as there are multiple ways to enjoy eating it!
If you are craving for something crunchy, tasty, yet easy to make — you can’t go wrong with the Pinoy lumpia! It’s bound to be a hit at parties or even simple get-togethers at home. And speaking of Filipino cuisine, here’s another recipe that you should try, the famous kare-kare!
