Recipe of The Month- Filipino Fried Lumpia

By Lu

Well, it seems when we're in streak talking about food, we are really on a roll! After toilet talks and all that good stuff, it is time for our first ever "Recipe of the Month!" I'm excited, are you? *big smile*

We received some interesting recipes and we are in the process of testing them. Ri and I are really having fun testing the recipes! I've been so lazy to cook lately, and this gives me every reason to start using my kitchen again. I forgot sometime how great it is being in the kitchen. I encourage you readers to send us your recipes too! If you have an incredible recipe you are sure will wow every one, do share it! Not  only you get bragging rights if it is chosen as The Recipe of the Month, but you can also extend great tasting food to a lot of people all around the world. Surprisingly, when we see our blog stats, our readers are scattered every where and it would be nothing less than awesome if we can get a hold of some fantastic recipes from around the globe and share it among us. I, for one, will never turn down an opportunity to try and taste delicious food. So, please...send us an email at mailto:thingsonmytopshelf@gmail.com with your recipe. We look forward to it!

My friend, Marilou

This month's bragging rights go to my friend, Marilou Gervacio. We call Marilou our smart friend as she is a successful attorney as well as a lobbyist. On top of that, she's also a food enthusiast and not a shabby cook! Every time there's a get together and Marilou is coming, I can count on that there will be these super delicious Filipino Style Egg Rolls. Marilou told me she learned to make these lumpia or egg rolls from her mom. Of course! Who can be a better teacher than mom? I know I learned everything I got from my mom. Well, the recipe she learned from her mom did not disappoint in the least!

I tried to make them two times, and I adjusted the recipe I  got from Marilou to fit my liking. However, I will give you her original rendition:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package of frozen spring roll skins/wrappers
• 1.5 lbs ground beef (you can also use ground pork)
• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped (I added one more stalk, as I like more of the texture)
• 3 stalks of green onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 (half) yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• Soy sauce to taste (about 3 to 4 teaspoon)
• Garlic salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
• Black pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
• Frying oil

Spring Home Tyj Spring Roll Skins

First thing you do is defrost and separate the lumpia/spring roll wrappers. They're available in most grocery stores' frozen section, and most definitely available in all Asian grocery stores. The brand in the picture is my favorite. Their skins are usually very easy to work with, smooth, and very crispy when fried.

Using a food processor or mini chopper, chop the onion, celery, and green onion. We want them chopped very finely so they can be easily and smoothly incorporated to the meat mixture later.

In a mixing bowl, add ground meat, and the chopped vegetables, as well as the egg.

Add seasonings. Be very conservative at first as you don't want to overseason it. If you the sprinkler type like I am, be very moderate with the garlic salt as it is not there just to add garlic taste, it will make it salty as well! You can eliminate this issue if you're not sure by using garlic powder, and stick to soy sauce for the salt. For those of you Asian who likes the taste of MSG but do not like the bad consequences, you can add a little sugar to balance the taste.

Mix all ingredients together. Hands always work great as Marilou testified (see, she's a lawyer :D). If not, a wooden spatula works good too. Make sure all ingredients are incorporated nicely.  Work your hand through the ingredients and mix them well together. When everything is mixed, try the flavor of your mixture by frying a small patty for tasting. Then, make adjustment accordingly. Remember, you can always add seasoning if it's underseasoned. But when it is overseasoned - you have to go to grocery store and get more meat! When the taste is to your liking, we are ready to roll it.

On a clean cutting board or other flat surface, place a single lumpia wrapper. Add 1.5 tablespoon of the meat mixture across the bottom end leaving some space on each end. The meat should be about an inch wide or a little less. Don't add too much meat as it needs to be rolled tightly.

Start rolling the wrapper, and roll it tight forming a nice narrow pipe-like lumpia. Knead it occasionally as you roll so it will keep a nice round shape.

Dip either your finger or a pastry brush in water and brush the other end of the wrapper to help seal it. The water will act as a glue. Some people also use beaten egg or flour and water mixture. However, it really depends on the wrapper type. Water works just fine with the type of wrapper I use. If your wrappers are heavier and won't stick using just water, then you can resort to egg or flour and water mixture.


Repeat the steps and roll more lumpias until all meat has been utilized. Once they are all rolled, cut the lumpia into three pieces. Try to cut each piece uniformly for a better presentation. You can use one as a template and then use it as a guide when cutting the rest of the them. If you have excess skin at each end, you can trim the edges for the sake of neatness.

Heat up frying oil in a deep fryer or the ugliest pan you have. Make sure you add enough oil to submerge the egg rolls in it. Once the oil is hot, fry the egg rolls until crispy and golden brown. Fit as many as you can but don't overcrowd them. When they're overcrowded, they won't get crispy and you want them crispy, believe me. Regular (non-teflon) pans or anodized pans usually work better as well for frying. When they're golden brown, remove them from oil and place on a collander lined with paper towel to remove excess oil.

Serve while hot with sweet and sour sauce if you prefer (you can get at grocery store). I like them just they way they are!

Thank you, Marilou for sharing your killer lumpia recipe! They're so good and easy to make. It will make a perfect appetizers for any party and it will be a sure hit. You can also freeze these egg rolls and fry them whenever you have craving for it. Once you had them, I know you will crave them!

I hope you will try this recipe! Let me know how it turns out!