Filipino Spring Rolls (Lumpia)
This fun, Filipino weekend project will grant you golden heaps of crispy, meaty party snacks - whether you have a reason to celebrate or not!
Lumpia is the ultimate party treat for many Pinoys, rolled out for birthdays, weddings, Christmas and even funerals. Lumpia originated with Chinese migrants that settled in the Philippines and as such are descendants of the Chinese spring roll. Lumpia are often just referred to as ‘lumpia’ by Pinoys, but there are a few variations. The most common is ‘lumpia shanghai’, named romantically after the Chinese city. These are filled with a seasoned meat mixture, and these are the ones we are making here. You can sometimes find special, super thin wrappers especially for lumpia in some Asian supermarkets, but a spring roll pastry is more than adequate. You’ll find either of them in the freezer section. Once rolled, you could brush your lumpia with oil and bake them in the oven, but for a treat this good and plentiful I highly recommend splurging on some oil and deep-frying them. The recipe for lumpia Shanghai filling varies wildly too. Being an archipelago, the Philippines exhibits great diversity in produce and cooking styles and so Pinoys are used to variety and twists even in their traditional dishes. So feel free to have fun with the recipe; it’s a fun dish to make after all! Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (makes 30x rolls)
30x lumpia or spring roll wrappers - available in Asian supermarkets
500g minced beef or pork (15-20% fat is ideal)
1x large carrot
5x spring onions, sliced (green and white parts)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon (light) soy sauce
2 tsps fish sauce (Thai fish sauce can suffice)
1/2 tsp chicken powder (or 1/2 chicken stock cube, crumbled)
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
LUMPIA GLUE
1 tablespoon plain flour
2 tablespoons water
WALKTHROUGH
First, let’s blend the aromatics for the filling. Place 1x large carrot and 5 spring onions into a food processor and blend them until finely chopped. Set them aside.
Now let’s make the meat mixture. In a mixing bowl, add the 500g minced beef or pork. Add the 1 egg, 1 tablespoon (light) soy sauce, 2 tsps fish sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 2 tsps garlic powder and 1/2 tsp chicken powder (or 1/2 chicken stock cube, crumbled). Add the carrot-spring onion mixture and mix everything until well-combined.
Before we roll, make some lumpia glue. Combine 1 tablespoon of plain flour with 2 tablespoons of water and mix to a paste. Set this aside. You can use this to help seal the lumpia when rolling.
Now let’s fill the wrappers. Cut the square wrappers diagonally to form equal triangles. Taking one piece of pastry at a time, add 2-3 teaspoons of the filling in an even line across the bottom edge of the triangle (using a piping bag really helps here). Fold the left and right points towards the centre, ensuring the remaining strip ‘to the north’ is straight and parallel. Roll the meat filling up, rolling it along this ‘north’ strip. Once only a triangular point remains at the end, spread a little bit of the flour glue across it and roll it to seal. It will take 3-4 tries to get into the swing of it!
Once you have rolled your lumpia, place them onto a baking tray until you have finished your batch. At this stage, they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To fry the lumpia, fill a heavy-based pot with cooking oil until at least 2 inches-deep with oil. Heat the oil gradually until it is 180C/350F, or until a bread cube or wooden spoon fries on contact with the oil. Watch the oil carefully and do not allow it to get too hot or smoke.
Add the rolled lumpia to the oil in batches, and cook them steadily for 5-6 minutes, adjusting the temperature between batches if needed. You want to ensure the pastry is crisp and golden brown and the filling is cooked. Allow them to drain on a cooking rack.
Once slightly cooled, they are ready to eat straight away. Enjoy them with a sweet chilli sauce, plum sauce, vinegar or ketchup. Everybody has their own favourite way to eat them. Enjoy!
