Apr 24, 20203 min read

Lumpiang Shanghai

Updated: Aug 1, 2020

No Filipino party is complete without a platter of these guys! There are many different kinds of lumpia in Filipino cuisine. Lumpiang Shanghai is the version that is filled mainly with meat, rolled tightly, and fried. Traditionally, minced carrots and water chestnuts are mixed in with the meat for some texture. I actually like to use carrots and jicama, but you could even use just carrots if that's all you have. These freeze well and can be fried from frozen, so since these can be a bit time-consuming to wrap if you're working by yourself, I usually make a double batch and freeze some for later.

Watch my lumpia video here.

Makes 50 lumpia

Ingredients

Filling:

2 lbs ground pork

1 cup green onion, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup carrot, minced

1/3 cup jicama or water chestnuts, minced

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Wrappers:

25 10” square spring roll wrappers

1 egg, beaten with 1 Tbsp water

Directions

Place all of the filling ingredients into a large bowl, and gently mix with your hands or a rubber spatula until combined. This part can be done one day in advance. Keep in fridge until ready to use.

Allow the wrappers to thaw at room temperature, then carefully separate each wrapper from the stack. You can lay them back on top of one another -- they should not stick back together as long as you use them immediately. Use a sharp knife or pastry cutter to cut each wrapper in half diagonally, so that you have 50 triangles. You can try to cut the entire stack at once before separating the wrappers, but this may not work as well if the wrappers aren't stacked evenly to begin with. Keep them covered with a wet paper towel while you’re working.

To wrap the lumpia: place a wrapper down with the long side facing you. Take 1 Tbsp of filling and place it in the middle, about 1 cm from the bottom edge. Use your fingers to spread the filling into a long mound along that edge. Update: For easier filling, make a meat bag! Place the meat mixture in a resealable bag, then cut off one corner. Then you can pipe the filling onto the wrapper quickly and more consistently!

Fold each of the side corners towards the middle, then roll up once from the bottom to cover the meat. Dip your finger in the egg wash or use a pastry brush (easier!) and wipe it on the remaining exposed wrapper. Roll the lumpia the rest of the way. Place each lumpia on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Once all of the lumpia is rolled up, you can either fry them right away or place the entire baking sheet in the freezer (keep the lumpia in one layer). If freezing, transfer the lumpia from the baking sheet into resealable bags after they have frozen. This keeps them from sticking together/makes them easier to separate.

To fry: heat 1” of canola or peanut oil in a large skillet to to 365°F. Cook the lumpia in batches until golden brown. Make sure the oil stays between 360° and 375°F while frying. Transfer the cooked lumpia to a wire rack to drain and cool. Do not drain directly on paper towels, or they may become soggy.

You can fry these directly from frozen. They will just take slightly longer and will splatter a bit if there are any ice crystals. I keep a splatter guard handy for this reason.

Serve with sweet chili sauce and enjoy!

Visuals

The ingredients. Remember, if you don't have jicama or water chestnuts, you can sub for all carrots.

I like to cut my wrappers in half, diagonally. Separate each sheet first, then individually cut each one. It doesn't take as long as you'd think, especially if you have a pastry cutter like this one.

Assembly line.

Getting ready to roll! Once you have the filling down as pictured, fold the two side corners in towards the middle of the filling, then roll the bottom up once. Get some egg wash onto the remaining exposed wrapper, then continue rolling the lumpia the rest of the way!

Update: After making these as frequently as I do, I've come up with a much easier and quicker way to get the filling onto the wrapper instead of just spooning it on. Introducing, the meat bag!!! Just fill a resealable bag with the meat mixture, cut off the end, and pipe the filling onto the wrapper. Not only is it less messy, but it allows for more consistency in the size of your lumpia.