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At some point I will post my recipe for traditional Filipino Lumpia, but I have to mentally and physically work myself up to the process. Technically it’s not hard but just very monotonous and time consuming work. A close relative to the popular Lumpia is the Filipino Shanghai Lumpia. The ingredients for the filling is not as extensive but the rolling process is pretty much the same. This delicious Shanghai Lumpia recipe is a great way to get yourself some practice before moving on to bigger things.
Growing up, at every Filipino party, Lumpia was a must at the buffet tables (fingers crossed, no raisins). The combined flavors of the veggies, pork and chicken is beyond the explanation that words can provide. Even more, the different textures, from the crunchy wrapper to the soft veggies or water chestnuts, offers a perfect blend for each bite. I guess that is the best way to explain the greatness of Lumpia. Perfect combination of flavor and texture, the all encompassing food. Too good to just classify it as an appetizer.
Shanghai Lumpia
The Shanghai Lumpia falls under the same flavor and texture category too. Not as much vegetables as the bigger Lumpia but an amazing flavor is still present. Our Delicious Shanghai Lumpia Recipe addresses both the flavor and the texture. Not only can you enjoy and fry up a batch as you wrap but you are going to have a good supply in your freezer.
Ingredients
The Filling
There is a variety of meats that I have eaten in a Shanghai Lumpia but my go to meat is ground pork. Although, a long time ago I think that the Cheesecake Factory had something called Firecracker Shrimps. They were spicy and on the Shanghai side of eggrolls. I’d like to give that a shot one day.
In addition to the pork, I also add garlic, green onions, carrots and water chestnuts. To get all of the flavors blended well, I mince up these ingredient pretty well to mix into the pork. I also take some of the carrots and water chestnuts and give them a good rough chop to add some texture to the filling.
To add to the flavor, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper get into the mix. If you like to use the soy and vinegar or any other sauce on your Shanghai Lumpia, keep in mind that they can add a taste of saltiness as well. So don’t go too crazy when adding salt and soy sauce to your filling. Lastly, I add eggs to bind everything together.
Speaking of binding, I also use an egg, scrambled, as a binder when I roll the Shanghai Lumpia up. I find this easier than using water.
The Wrapper
Although just one ingredient makes up this part, buying the right one will make a huge difference. Some people use the Lumpia size wrappers and then cut them to size after wrapping. My preference is the 5″ x 5″ Spring Roll wraps to make my individual Shanghai Lumpia.
I have the least amount of luck with the ones that are already separated, between parchment paper. Take a minute to separate a third to a half of the package, stack it back on the remainder of the stack (on a plate or saucer) and cover it with a damp paper towel. Be sure to keep that stack covered as you roll. If they get on the dry side, it will be harder get a tight roll.
Making the Filling
In a food processor or blender, blend together the garlic, carrots, water chestnuts and green onions. This will make it possible for the flavors to mix well with the pork. If you want some of that mixed texture in your filling, set about a quarter of your carrots and water chestnuts to the side for a rough chop. Slightly bigger than minced. Put contents in a bowl when done.
Add the pork, soy sauce, sesame oil, eggs, salt and pepper to the bowl and mix the ingredients well. The best way to do it is by throwing on some food prep gloves and mix by hand. When done, let the filling sit in the refrigerator while you take a break and prep your wrappers. Letting it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes, to allow the pork fat to solidify the filling before wrapping. This will make it easier to wrap up your Shanghai Lumpia.
The Wrapping Process
Take the time to separate each individual wrapper from the stack. Place them on a saucer or plate and keep them covered with a damp, not soaking wet, paper towel. Consistency with the amount of filling that you use is key. Unlike Lumpia, Shanghai filling is not precooked. Even though thick Shanghai Lumpia might sound good, you will run the risk of burning your wrapper before the pork fully cooks. I find that a half of a table spoon is perfect for each roll. This will give you more consistency when deep frying them and it will stretch out your ingredients to make more (I got your back Filipinos!)
Rather than taking the time to separate the yolk, I scramble one egg for my “wrapping glue”. With the amount that you are wrapping, this works so much better than water. If wrapping less and they were going to get placed in the pan or freezer right away, maybe water would work. Using an egg saves you from the frustration of seams not sticking. You can use the back of the fork that you used to scramble the egg. It doesn’t take much to bind.
Getting Started
To get your flow going, set out two wrappers as diamonds. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of filling and place half in the middle of each wrapper. Once you get used to the amount, you can ditch the precise measuring. If you are fan of uniformity, then by all means, stick to measuring out equal portions.
How you wrap them is up to you. How ever you feel comfortable. I like placing the filling in the middle of the wrapper. Apply some of the egg on the top half of the diamond, directly above the filling. Then fold the bottom corner up, pushing the filling back toward me, forming the Shanghai Lumpia shape. I like doing this versus forming the filling before wrapping. This way I can get pretty consistent with the width of each.
Now apply more egg to the remaining three corners. To keep my edges tight, I fold in the sides, making an angle slightly less than 90º on each side.
From here, just roll from the bottom, up to the top corner.
As you wrap, line up finished pieces on top of a parchment paper (wax paper). Once your row gets as long as the width of your zip lock bag or container, add another piece of paper and stack another row on top. Freeze right away or get your oil ready to enjoy now.
Cooking
Now that you have made it through the prep portion of our delicious Shanghai Lumpia recipe, you can now cook ’em up. If you house is anything like ours, it will be a challenge to keep up with the “supply and demand”. As long as your Shanghai Lumpia are not too thick, cooking time should not be too long.
In a frying pan, add enough oil to ensure that your Shanghai Lumpia are fully immersed in the oil. Preheat the oil at a medium high heat. You want to be sure that your oil is hot enough before putting your Shanghai Lumpia in the pan. If the oil is not hot enough, they will soak up too much oil. A good way to check is by slightly dipping an end (use your cooking tongs) of one of your Shanghai Lumpia in the oil. If you do not see any frying action occurring, then it’s too early.
Once your oil is ready place your Shanghai Lumpia in the oil. If you are cooking them frozen, be careful when placing them in the oil. Fry until the wrapper is golden brown. Flip each piece over to cook evenly. If your temp is just right, it should take 3-5 minutes to cook. If frozen, it will take a little longer.
Shake off excess oil and let them cool on a paper towel, to absorb more oil. It is always a good idea to cut one open to ensure that you are cooking them long enough to fully cook the pork.
We hope that you enjoy or Delicious Shanghai Lumpia Recipe!
Masayang Pagluluto!
Kain na tayo!
Shanghai Lumpia Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 packages 5X5 spring roll wrapper (50 count) defrosted
- 2 lbs ground pork
- 3 eggs 2 for filling, 1 for wrapping
- 4 garlic cloves
- ¾ cup green onions chopped
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- 8 oz canned water chestnuts drained and chopped
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Blend ¾carrots, ¾water chestnuts, garlic and green onions in food processor.
- Mince the rest of the carrots, and water chestnuts. *Optional: you can skip this step and opt to blend all the carrots, and water chestnuts in the food processor. We do this step because we like the extra crunch.
- In a bowl mix pork, blended and chopped (if you did that step) veggies, soy sauce, sesame oil, 2 eggs, salt and pepper. Mix well.
- Refrigerate filling for 30 minutes. *Key step, do not skip this step.
- Separate wrappers and place under a damp paper towel to prevent wrappers from drying out. *Separate packages as needed.
- Starting from a corner, roll ½ Tbs of filling per wrapper. Seal edges with 1 raw scrambled egg.*See blog post for detailed instruction and photo examples.
- Pre-heat enough oil in pan to deep fry lumpia to 350 F degrees.
- Carefully place lumpia in hot oil, flip after 1-2 minutes. Cook until golden brown. (approx. 3-5 minutes depending on if you are cooking frozen or defrosted lumpia)
- Serve with a sweet chili sauce (or make your own vinegar, soy sauce, fresh garlic sauce).
Notes
Click >>HERE<< for the Lumpia Dessert Cousin, Turon recipe.
