Lumpia Shanghai

The quintessential Filipino party food. They’re laborious, but well worth the time and effort! Go to any Filipino party and 90% of the time, this will be on the table, served with a bowl of sweet chili dipping sauce.

There are many variations to Lumpia Shanghai. It all depends on what region your family is from or what ingredients were easily accessible to them. What I don’t agree with is U.S. born Filipinos trying to change up the game because they want to be different.

Spare me from your ‘innovative take’ on lumpia. I don’t really care. Classic is best when it comes to these golden fried deliciousness and I will not have it any other way!

LUMPIA SHANGHAI

INGREDIENTS (makes a ton*, prep time 45 – 60 minutes**, cook time 10 – 15 minutes)

2.5 lbs ground meat (chicken, pork or beef)
3/4 cup finely shredded sweet potatoes (garnet or white)
3/4 cup finely shredded carrots
3/4 cup finely shredded potatoes (golden or Idaho)
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 eggs (1 filling + 1 egg wash)
2 packs Menlo brand lumpia wrapper (find in an Asian market)
4 – 6 cups oil (vegetable or canola)

PREPARATION

Make sure you wring out the water from the carrots, sweet potatoes, and potatoes. You don’t want that excess water!
In a large bowl, combine ground meat, veggies, spices, sesame oil, and 1 egg. Set aside.
Once your lumpia wrappers have thawed (because you’ll find them in the freezer section), carefully peel each layer of the wrapper from the stack. Place each sheet on a wide cutting board and cover it with a towel to prevent it from drying.
Your lumpia wrapping station should comprise of:
1. Flat surface – either your counter (clean) or a large cutting board
2. 1 egg wash in a small bowl.
3. Pastry brush for your egg wash if you don’t want to use your fingers.
4. Small or medium sized ice cream scoop. OR just use a spoon, but trust me, the scoop is easier to use since it’ll release the filling a lot better.
Take one lumpia wrapper and place it on your flat surface. At the bottom third section of the wrapper, put a scoop of filling (equivalent to about 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp) and thin it out in both directions, leaving about 1/4 inch of space between the edge of the wrapper and the meat. Perhaps ‘thin it out’ isn’t the best way to describe how the meat should be distributed evenly. I’ll work on this section. If you have questions, message me.
Fold the bottom piece of the wrapper over the meat and roll in the direction away from you.
Stop a little over half way and brush the top inch of the wrapper with your egg wash. This will act as a sealant for your lumpia. They should be long and cylindrical once you’re done rolling. Repeat until you run out of the filling.
Cut the lumpia into thirds.
Use a medium to large size pot and pour the oil in. Turn heat to medium-high and wait for it to reach 340° to 360°. You are going to deep fry these bad boys. Don’t be scared. They typically won’t pop…
Fry until golden brown and place in a paper towel lined bowl or colander.
Let it cool for a minute, then devour with sweet chili sauce or banana ketchup if you’re cool enough to know what that is.

*DO NOT fry all of them unless you are having a party. Portion them out and store them in reusable bags and freeze. I put a dozen per bag because I can’t eat all 60 – 80 pieces in one night! You can deep fry these while they’re frozen. In fact, don’t even thaw them; just pop them in the oil and they’ll cook up the same way as the freshly made ones!

**Another tip, have someone help you. These are much more fun to roll with a friend or a loved one and you’ll get done a lot sooner. I learned by helping out my mom and grandma!

Geez – I’m tired from typing all of this up. If you make these, let me know how they turn out!