Lumpiang Shanghai (Fried Spring Rolls)

Lumpiang Shanghai is the most popular Filipino appetizer.  This golden crispy tiny stick bursting in flavor,  in terms of popularity is way up there with pansit, lechon and adobo.  The dish was introduced by the Chinese traders to the pre-Hispanic Philippines.  Lumpiang Shanghai is different from Lumpiang Sariwa (Fresh Spring Roll.)  The former is fried and the latter is not.  See my recipe for Lumpiang Sariwa here.

Fried lumpia is made with chopped vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, green beans and bean sprouts; and ground meat such as pork, beef, chicken or shrimp.  It is flavored with garlic and onion; seasoned with soy sauce, salt and pepper; and wrapped in a thin crepe pastry called lumpia wrapper.  The wrapper is made if rice flour.

It is served as an appetizer or snack and usually comes with dipping sauce on the side.  The traditional sauce is the thick sweet and sour sauce made from a combination of water, vinegar and sugar.  Other dipping sauces include: salt and vinegar; garlic, salt and vinegar; soy-vinegar sauce with or without garlic; and chili-garlic vinegar to name a few.  It is commonly served as a finger food in every gathering and celebration.

Lumpia is similar to Indonesia's loempia. Lumpia has been adopted not only by Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Malaysia but by European countries as well such as the Netherlands,  Belgium, France and Denmark.  In some Latin countries such as Venezuela lumpia was also introduced there by Chinese immigrants.

People who have visited the Philippines would have a clear recollection of lumpia if they have tried them.  Filipinos, both adults and children love lumpia.  My lumpia recipe is a version I learned from my grandma.  It has minced shrimp.  The flavor of the shrimp adds depth to the otherwise bland version with just ground pork in it.

Lumpiang Shanghai

Prep Time:  45 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 50 pieces

Ingredients:

Lumpia Sauce: *

• 1 cup water
• 3 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp. banana catsup
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp. of cold water

Lumpia Filling:

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled, deveined and finely chopped
• 1 medium carrots,  minced
• 1/4 cup Chinese celery, minced*
• 1 small yellow onion, minced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 50 pcs. Lumpia / eggroll wrapper, separated and covered with damp cloth
• 1-2 cups peanut oil for frying
  
  

Garnish: sprig of parsley (optional)

Procedure:

Lumpia Sauce:

1. Mix water, vinegar, catsup and salt in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Add the cornstarch slurry to thicken sauce.  Simmer for 3 minutes while whisking. 
3. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.

Lumpia:

1. Mix all ingredients together:  In a large bowl mix all lumpia filling ingredients except for the wrapper and oil.*
   
   
   
   
2. Fill the wrapper:  Lay one wrapper on a plate or clean work surface and spoon about a tablespoon of lumpia on it.
   
3. Roll and seal the lumpia: Cover the filling by turning up the bottom corner of the wrapper.  Fold in the left and right corners as if making an envelope. Roll the lumpia snugly yo ensure there are no air pockets to about half an inch in diameter.  Seal the lumpia by dabbing the inside of the remaining corner with water or beaten egg.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Repeat Step 3 until all wrappers are filled, rolled and sealed. (See Notes below for stoeage information.)
   
5. Fry the lumpia:  Heat oil in a deep fryer or skillet to 350 degrees.  Fry the lumpia about 5 pieces per batch for 4-6 minutes until golden brown and the filling is fully cooked.  Remove from the pan.
   
6. Drain excess oil by putting fried lumpia pieces in a strainer over paper towels. (Or just simply place them over paper towels.)
   
7. Transfer to a plate and garnish with a sprig of prasley. Serve warm with sauce on the side.
   

Notes:

* Make the sauce first before starting to fry the lumpia.

* If Chinese celery is not available,  substitute with the soft part of a regular celery.

* The filling can be prepared a day ahead. Put in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.

* To check the flavor of the lumpia mixture: cook a teaspoon of the lumpia filling in a pan with hot oil over medium heat.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.

* To facilitate efficient filling and rolling of the lumpia, separate the wrappers before starting to fill and cover with damp cloth to prevent them from drying.

* Uncooked lumpia can be stored in single layers in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight or in the freezer for up to a month.

* Frying frozen lumpia will take 2 minutes longer than frying freshly wrapped lumpia.

* Fried lumpia does NOT store well. It gets soggy because of the wrapper.

* Fried lumpia may be served with different dipping sauces, too apart from the standard lumpia dipping sauce.  These sauces include: salt and vinegar; garlic, salt and vinegar; soy-vinegar sauce with or without garlic; and chili-garlic vinegar to name a few.

Empanada (Meat and Vegetable Turnover)

Empanada, also known as turnover or hand pie is a baked or fried pastry that is stuffed with meat, potatoes, carrots, peas, raisins, cheese and/or egg.  The name empanada comes from the Spanish word "empanar" which means "to wrap."  The dish is introduced by the Spanish colonizers in the Philippines in the 16th century.  There are several versions of empanada in Latin and Asian countries.

The empanada in the Philippines usually contains meat such as ground beef, pork or chicken and vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, peas, onions, raisins, cheese and/or egg. Optional fillings include raisins, hard-boiled egg and olives. It is served as an appetizer, snack or as an accompaniment to a larger meal.

Empanada

Prep Time:  90 minutes
Cooking Time:  45 minutes
Yield:  12 large empanada pieces (or 24 small pieces)

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup water (at room temperature)
• 1 large egg, beaten (for the egg wash)

Filling:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons paprika 
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 small red potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 pound ground beef (90-97% lean), ground pork, or minced chicken
• 1/2 cup sweet peas (optional)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup raisins, soaked in hot water gor 5 minutes (optional)
• 1/4 cup green olives, sliced (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced (optional)
• 3 stalks green onions, chopped

Procedure:

Dough Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl whisk flour and salt together. 
2. Slowly add the oil while whisking.
3. Slowly add the water until the mixture achieves tge consistency of a dough.
4. Transfer dough on a clean surface and knead for 12 minutes or until smooth.
   
   
   
   
5. Divide the dough into two equal pieces.  Flatten each part using a rolling pin.  Wrap separately in cling wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes covered with a dish towel. Dough maybe made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. (Proceed to cooking the filling while the dough is resting.)
   
6. Divide the each chilled dough into 6 pieces about 1/4 cup each (or 12 pieces if making small empanadas.) (Do this step after Step 6 of Filling Preparation.)
7. Flatten each piece with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface.  Roll each piece of dough to about the size of a bread plate.
   

Filling Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add paprika.
2. Add beef (or other meat) and soy sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir for 5 minutes or until the meat is brown.
3. Add the carrots and potatoes.  Cover.  Remove cover after 4 minutes.
4. Stir in the olives, sweet peas (if using) and raisins.  Continue cooking for 3 minutes.
5. Add the green onions and hard-boiled eggs at the end.  Remove from heat and drain excess liquid.  
   
6. Let the filling cool completely by spreading it on a large wide plate and putting it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.   (Proceed to Step 6 of the Dough Preparation.)
7. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.  (Skip this step if you are frying the empanada.)
8. Fill half of each piece of flattened dough with 1/3 cup of the cooled filling or 2 tablespoons if making smaller empanadas.  Fold the other half over to wrap the filling as if it's a pocket.  Firmly press the edges to seal the "pouch" or pocket.
   
   
   
9. Place empanadas on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.  
   
10. Lightly brush the top of each empanada with the egg wash.  Bake the empanadas for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. (Skip this step if you are frying the empanada and proceed to Step 11.)
    
11. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Fry the empanadas for 3-4 minutes each side or until the crust is golden brown. 

Notes:

*   Unbaked empanadas (without the eggwash) can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Tightly seal them in freezer bags.  When ready to bake, take it out from the freezer, brush the tops with the eggwash and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

*  Optional ingredients for the filling include cheese and/or hard-boiled egg.

*   Smaller empanada can be made by equally dividing the dough into 24 pieces (about 1/8 cup of dough per piece) and putting about 2 tablespoons of filling in each.