What is lumpiang Shanghai
Lumpiang Shanghai literally means rolls from Shanghai. At the mention of the term shanghai, it is already given that this type of rolls is fried and smaller than its fresh roll counterpart. But are they from Shanghai? Surprisingly, they are not as it is a basic Filipino dish.
Ingredients for Lumpiang Shanghai
Ground meats, such as pork, beef, chicken mixed with a relatively lesser amount of minced vegetables, are the key ingredients of this dish. Some lumpiang shanghai recipes call for simply mixing the ingredients plus salt and ground black pepper, then rolled in store-bought roll pastries and then fried. Others, including yours truly, prefer to sautee the ingredients first before rolling them into the pastry sheets and fried. I have tried both, and they have their own distinct taste that demands preference. Health is my reason for favoring the sauteed version. Here is a preview to how simple the ingredient line up for lumpiang shanghai is:
· Ground meat
· Garlic
· Onions
· Carrot
· Water chestnuts or jicama or potatoes
How to make lumpiang Shanghai
All the ingredients are minced or chopped separately in almost similar sizes and then mixed before rolling them into spring roll pastry sheets. I had seen my mom does it with her hands in the old days. But old days are different – that’s when she was younger, ironical as it may sound – as in latter days, she mixes them with either a spoon or a ladle. Health reasons – paranoia, she must be thinking! Well, she is in tune with the times, shall we say?
Lumpiang shanghai would be ready for frying by then.
How to serve lumpiang shanghai
A consistent line up during occasions, lumpiang shanghai is served as an appetizer along with usually ketchup or sweet chili sauce or none at all. For some, this is enough as viand eaten with plain steamed rice, or fried rice.
Cooking Tips
- Let the spring rolls ingredients cool before wrapping them into spring roll sheets.
- Depending on the spring roll pastry sheets that you have, you can either fold it to seal the two ends of the spring roll, or spread the contents till the end and cut the spring rolls into two-inch pieces before frying.
- Did you know that loosely rolled spring rolls collect oil during the frying stage?
- Deep fry the rolls. They tend to collect oils otherwise.
- Drain the fried rolls on a mesh as they leave oil at the bottom end if drained on paper towels.
How to store lumpiang Shanghai
There are two ways you can store spring rolls, they can last for two months or a bit longer:
Resealable plastic bags
Keep spring rolls or lumpiang shanghai in resealable plastic bags in the freezer. Line them up a bit loose and keep.
Tupperware
Line up the spring rolls in a Tupperware, cover tightly and keep in the freezer.
I love making spring rolls and keep them in the freezer as I so want them available whenever a craving call.
My Traveler Friend, Amelia!
Meet my dear traveler friend, #lakwatserangamelia, who during the pandemic lockdown and so working from home, becomes hungry more than necessary. For her, when Hunger Strikes, she performs magic!
Lumpiang Shanghai
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 40 pieces 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients
- 1 kg ground beef
- 1 cup singkamas (jicama, or potatoes or water chestnuts, diced finely,)
- ½ cup carrots (diced finely)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ cup (onions diced finely)
- 1 egg (if mixing the other ingredients raw)
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- lumpia wrapper (spring roll pastry)
- cooking oil for deep-frying
Instructions
- Sautee garlic add onion in cooking oil and stir for a minute.
- Add ground beef and cook stirring until the juices come out; the meat would be half done at this stage.
- Add carrots and jicama and stir further for two minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Let cool.
- Roll enough portion onto spring roll to make a slim roll.
- Seal with a mixture of all-purpose flour and water.
- Deep fry in oil.
- Serve with either ketchup or sweet chilli sauce.
