What is Lumpia?
Chances are, if you have at least one Filipino friend, then you have been introduced to and are already fond of lumpia. If you are not lucky enough to have one Filipino in your circle of friends, you will want to go out immediately and make friends with one so that you can benefit from the number one advantage of befriending a Filipino: the guaranteed platter of lumpia brought to every potluck gathering of family and friends.
In all seriousness, lumpia is perhaps the most beloved and well-known of the traditional foods of the Philippines, and for good reason. Though it is also a fried savory pastry, it is not just “a Filipino eggroll.” Lumpia is unique and has its own variety of fillings and dipping sauces. The different traditional versions available are dependent on the region of the Philippines in which it originated. Some versions of lumpia are smaller, about the size of a cigar, and filled only with meat and spices. Others, as the one featured here, are larger, closely matching the size of an eggroll, and filled with an impressive array of meats, vegetables and even nuts and raisins. There is also has a banana lumpia, traditionally called turon, and is commonly eaten as a snack or dessert. Nearly all Filipino families have played out the familiar scene of young children helping the parents fill and wrap the lumpia, perhaps as a ploy to sneak in a spoonful of the delicious, savory filling when the parent’s back is turned.
The recipe below, though necessitating some effort, will produce a large batch of very traditional and delicious lumpia that will be well worth your attention. It will also garner you the undying affection of your friends and loved ones. It is the recipe that was shared with me by my mother who, in my completely unbiased opinion, makes the best lumpia in the universe.
Be sure to read the tips at the bottom for helpful ways to simplify the recipe.
Lumpia Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for sautéing
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1/2 cup finely minced onion
- 1/2 lb ground meat (pork/ turkey/ beef) or diced cooked chicken
- 1 small can shrimp (optional)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1 cup tofu, extra firm, diced
- 2 carrots
- 1 yam or sweet potato
- 1 jicama (root vegetable, found in most produce sections)
- 1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/4 pound green beans, sliced diagonally in small pieces
- 1 can garbanzos,drained (optional)
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 cup ground roasted peanuts
- Package of lumpia wrapper (available at some grocery stores and all Asian markets)
- Additional vegetable oil for frying
Garlic dipping sauce:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup water
- 3 (or more) cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (dissolve in small amount of water)
Directions:
- Mix the ingredients for the garlic dipping sauce (except the cornstarch) and set aside.
- In a large pan or wok, lightly fry the diced tofu in oil until lightly browned. Remove from pan and set aside to let drain paper towel.
- In the same pan, sauté garlic until brown. Add onion. When onion turns transparent, add meat and shrimp. Drain any drippings. Season with some of the dip mixture (about 2 tbsp). When cooked, add tofu and raisins.
- Add carrots, yam, garbanzos, green beans, jicama and cabbage. Toss in each ingredient one at a time in the order shown. Season with about 2 tbsp of dip mixture. Be careful not to overcook. The filling will be done when all the ingredients are cooked through and the vegetables have softened without become mushy.
- Turn off the heat and let cool.
- Toss in the chopped parsley and ground peanuts to the lumpia filling.
- On a flat surface, spread out wrappers. Put 2-3 tablespoons of filling on each wrapper. Be careful not to overfill, as this will only complicate matters. Exercise restraint during this step! Overfilled lumpia will tear and cause oil to splatter during frying. Roll up like a small burrito. Ensure that the edges seal by putting a bit of water on the edge of the wrapper with your finger.
- Fry in hot oil in small batches and drain on paper towel.
- Add the cornstarch to the dip mixture. In a small saucepan, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens slightly.
- This recipe will make a large batch, at least two dozen. Enjoy!
Tips for Cooking Lumpia
- A recipe such as this is very amenable to variation. If you are vegetarian, omit the meat and increase the amount of tofu and vegetables. Also, increase the amount of garlic sauce in the actual filling mixture to enhance the flavor.
- If you are making this for a group of friends, perhaps omit the peanuts to be safe in case of potential peanut allergies.
- The most time-consuming portion of this recipe is the chopping of all the vegetables. A shortcut would be to use a bag of pre-shredded vegetables (cabbage, carrots, broccoli, etc.) and just add additional root vegetables, if any.
- For the best resulting product, and the most traditional, make sure that you purchase the correct type of wrapper used for lumpia. Ideally, you will find that it is labeled specifically for lumpia. Lumpia wrapper is much thinner than the typical eggroll, spring roll or won ton wrappers and, hence, will become more crispy when fried.
- A special tip direct from my mother: For added flavor, put a teaspoon or so of the finished garlic sauce in with the filling before wrapping.
- If you are health conscious and want to omit the frying, you may also use this filling wrapped in the Vietnamese rice spring roll wrappers and enjoy it this way, without frying. It will, of course, no longer be a traditional lumpia, but surely delicious as well.
- If you find that you have made more lumpia than you care to eat or serve right away, you can freeze the lumpia before frying and store in a sealed tupperware or ziploc bag for a couple of weeks. Separate the layers with wax paper in order to keep them from sticking together when thawing.
Ysabel Sarte - Ysabel Sarte is a classically trained musician and music educator who spends a vast majority of time pursuing interests unrelated to ...
Join the Conversation