Cooking Fresh Lumpia

Filipinos refer to vegetable lumpia as “fresh” to distinguish it from “fried” lumpia. They both contain sauteed vegetables with a little pork and/or shrimp. In this version of fried lumpia–a vegetable combination I learned from an aunt–small cubes of sweet potatoes are added to create a variety of texture.

In making lumpia, store-bought wrappers are convenient. But, there is nothing like home-made egg wrappers. I used to make them with my lumpiang ubod. But my good ole teflon-coated pan has since been discarded and ordinary frying pans–even cast iron–are no good for making home-made egg wrappers. I’m sure we’ll get a new one when I start craving for lumpiang ubod.

The little extra that I added here are the sesame seeds. These little things are really wonderful. Improves the aroma AND the taste. Better than stirring in a little sesame seed oil towards the end of the cooking time.

Fresh Lumpia
The Philippines
Lumpiang Sariwa
Makes 10

It's A Wrap
If you don't have the time to make pancake wrappers for fresh lumpia, you can also use Vietnamese rice paper wrappers, which are sold in many Asian grocery stores.

Look for round wrappers about 8 inches across. They're paper-thin, translucent, and brittle, with a delicate lattice pattern from the woven drying racks on which they're made. To soften them, dip them briefly in a bowl of warm water, shaking off the excess before you put the wrapper on your plate. In a few seconds, the wrapper will be soft enough to roll around the lettuce and the filling.

Lumpia are among the most famous of all Filipino dishes. These are not the fried, eggroll-like lumpia you may have tried, but a lighter, home-style version, in which delicate egg pancakes are rolled around lettuce and a tasty chicken, shrimp, and vegetable filling. If you have adventurous guests, let everybody make their own lumpia right at the table-it's a great way to get a dinner party rolling!

Wrappers
2 large eggs
1-1/4 cups water
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

About 3 tablespoons cooking oil
Filling

1/2 cup julienned onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, thinly sliced
1/4 pound medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, and halved
1-1/2 cups finely julienned jicama
1/2 small carrot, finely julienned
2 green onions, finely julienned
2 teaspoons oyster-flavored sauce
1 teaspoon Filipino fish sauce (patis)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 tender lettuce leaves

Getting Ready
Prepare wrappers: In a bowl, whisk together eggs, water, cornstarch, flour, and salt until smooth. Strain batter.

Place a nonstick 8-inch omelet pan over medium heat until hot; brush with 1/4 teaspoon oil. Pour 1/4 cup batter into pan; tilt pan so batter covers entire surface. Cook until edge of wrapper is lightly browned and surface looks dry, about 45 seconds. Loosen edge with a spatula, turn wrapper, and cook 10 seconds longer. Turn wrapper out of pan onto a plate. Repeat to use all batter.

Cooking

Prepare filling: Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add onion and garlic. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and shrimp; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add jicama and carrot; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add green onions; cook until vegetables are tender crisp, about 2 minutes. Return chicken mixture to pan; add oyster-flavored sauce, fish sauce, and pepper; cook for 1 minute. Cool.

Cut lettuce in half lengthwise. For each lumpia, place a piece of lettuce on wrapper. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling into center of wrapper. Fold bottom third of wrapper over filling, then fold in sides.

Serve with garlic dipping sauce or a mixture of hoisin sauce and soy sauce.
LUMPIA Sauce

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tbsp corn starch
• 2-3 tablespoons garlic, minced

Bring the water to a boil. Add the sugar to the boiling water and stir until dissolved. Remove 1/4 cup of the syrup, add the cornstarch, blend into a slurry and return to the pot. Remove from heat when thickened. Mix in garlic.