Lumpia Recipe (Filipino Egg Roll) From the Firefly Party

Lumpia are the Filipino version of an egg roll.  In my favorite Lumpia recipe, the delicate wrapper is filled with a mixture of ground beef and vegetables, rolled into a long, thin shape, and fried to a golden brown.  I'm also sharing my recipe for authentic lumpia dipping sauce--a must if you're making lumpia!

I was born in the Philippines.  That's not a fact most people (anyone) would guess, since my genetic heritage is a mix of the many pale and freckled peoples of the world.  I was an Air Force kid, and my parents were stationed at Clark Air Base when I was born.  We ate like natives for the years we were there, and I still adore and prefer those flavor profiles to most American fare.  I hate potatoes with a passion, but would happily eat white rice with soy sauce every day of my life.

So when I was creating my pan-Asian feast for the Firefly party, naturally, I included some of our family favorites from our days in the Philippines, including Lumpia (a Filipino version of an egg roll).

Lumpia Recipe

• 1lb ground beef, browned and drained
• 1/4 head of cabbage, cut finely
• 1 small onion, cut fine
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 medium carrot, cut finely
• lumpia wrappers

Start by browning the ground beef and draining it.  Set aside.  In the same pan, with some residual fat from the ground beef, sautee the onion, carrot, and cabbage, until slightly soft and cooked.  Add the meat and the soy sauce, and mix to create the lumpia filling.

You're going to want to find lumpia wrappers in the freezer section at your local Asian market.  The package pictured above is a great brand.  They're very, very thin.  Almost see-through.  We're talking filo dough or thinner here.  

Don't be fooled by the spring roll/lumpia rolls.  It's not the same thing.  Oh, if you MUST, and that's all you can find, go ahead and use it.  But those spring roll wrappers are far too thick for proper lumpia.  

Place a small amount of filling in a thin line on the lumpia wrapper.  I used one of those scoops in the picture for each lumpia.  I just ran to the kitchen to figure out how much that spoon holds, and it's less than 2T.  It's probably metric, though, and I didn't see a marking.  In any case, it's not a lot of filling.  Lumpia are skinny little things.

Roll the lumpia tightly up, and seal the edge with a dab of water.

How to Cook Lumpia

Once the lumpia are all wrapped, you can go ahead and cook right away, or you can freeze the lumpia for cooking up later.

When I freeze ahead of time, I freeze them in a single layer on sheet pans, and only once frozen do I put them in freezer bags.  It's great to be able to do this chore well ahead of time, and not the day of the party.

Traditionally, lumpia are fried to a golden crisp.  That's what I did for the party, to be authentic. 

How to Fry Lumpia

• To fry lumpia, heat vegetable oil to between 350 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and fry until golden brown (it just takes a few minutes). 
• If you've frozen your lumpia, fry directly from frozen--do not defrost before frying.  The cold temperature of the frozen lumpia will bring down the temperature of your cooking oil, so cook a few at a time, so that the oil doesn't get too cold (you'll end up with much greasier, oil-logged lumpia if you cook it too long, at a lower temperature)

But I actually like baking them just as well!  It's healthier, and you can make the whole batch at once, instead of frying a few at a time.

How to Bake Lumpia

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet Bake for 15 minutes, until the lumpia are crispy and lightly golden. 
• The lumpia will never get as golden brown as the fried lumpia, but they will be nicely crispy and absolutely delicious.

Lumpia Dipping Sauce Recipe

I like lumpia with just soy sauce for dipping, but there is a tasty traditional lumpia dipping sauce that you can make, too.

• 3 T cornstarch
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c soy sauce
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 T oil

In a small saucepan, fry garlic in the oil until golden brown, then remove (so it doesn't get bitter).  Into the hot fat, slowly pour the sauce ingredients and stir constantly as it cooks.  It will look awful.  Lumpy and cloudy and...well, just wrong.  Until it magically looks right.  When it turns from lumpy yuckiness to a thick, brown, glossy dipping sauce, you'll know it's done.  Top with the fried garlic and enjoy!

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