If ever you’re in a party or a social gathering, and you find the Lumpiang Shanghai, a curious looking fried sticks which is overflowing with meat once bitten, then you are pretty much in a Filipino-themed–if not Filipino–celebration!
I mean, if you’re a Filipino and you fail to prepare these irresistible spring rolls, I’m sure that a lot of people will ask why these appetizers are not present.
So here in this article, you can worry about that no more! You will learn how to make the best lumpiang shanghai rolls and you can truly say that you’re proud to be a heckin’ Filipino (or Filipino-by-heart). Read on below for more tips and tricks and some trivia about lumpiang shanghai.
What is Lumpiang Shanghai?
Lumpiang Shanghai is the Filipino version of the famous Chinese food–spring rolls. The main difference is, instead of vegetables stuffed inside the roll, more meat is included.
The most common meat that is used is ground pork, but other types such as ground beef, and even chicken can be used. Other common fillings such as carrots, garlic and onion, are also used.
What is the Difference between Lumpia and Shanghai?
If you’re not familiar with this type of food, Lumpia and Lumpiang Shanghai might get a little bit confusing. Here’s the difference between the two.
Lumpia is more of a general term that pertains to spring rolls. The types of lumpia are determined by their stuffing and the way they are cooked. Lumpiang Shanghai is one type of lumpia or spring roll that appears to be crispy, thin, short, and stuffed with meat.
Other popular types of lumpia include: Lumpiang Sariwa, Lumpiang Togue, and Lumpiang Sotanghon.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Wrapper
This dish used lumpia wrappers or spring roll wrappers. These are readily-available in the market place but you can definitely make them from scratch. See the section below on how to do this.
Ground Pork
The meat used in this recipe is ground pork, but any type of ground meat can also be used for the empanada such as ground beef or ground chicken.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like onion, garlic, carrots, parsley, soy sauce, egg, salt, black pepper, and cooking oil. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pan (Kawali)- You will be using a regular kawali or a cooking pan to first cook the filling ingredients and then to fry the lumpia rolls themselves. You can also use a deep fryer when frying the lumpia rolls.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Lumpiang Shanghai
Preparing the lumpiang shanghai is a really easy thing to do.
This is probably why it is quite a staple to serve this during celebrations or parties here in the Philippines, because it’s easy to produce large amounts of these without exerting too much effort and without buying much more expensive ingredients for other dishes.
Anyway, there are three simple steps which need to be done for the lumpiang shanghai: combine the ingredients, place them in a wrapper, and then deep fry it.
Homemade Lumpiang Shanghai Wrapper
If the lumpia wrappers are not available anywhere near you, don’t worry because you can actually make these yourself. All you need are probably in your kitchen right now. These are all-purpose flour, water, and salt. Let’s cover these step-by-step so you can easily understand:
- Combine the flour and salt together, and then pour the water in. Mix them together until they’re well incorporated. You can strain the mixture to remove any lumps that have formed, for smoother results.
- Prepare a non-stick pan and brush it with a small amount of oil. Apply low heat and then pour a part of the batter in.
- Tilt the pan in circular motions to immediately spread the batter all around the pan and wait for the batter to cook until it’s white. Transfer that, and set aside.
- Repeat the process for the rest of the batter.
Air Frying Lumpiang Shanghai
If you have an air fryer available with you, this is a good alternative when cooking the spring rolls. It is said that this option is the healthier choice, because you can fry with less (or no) use of cooking oil and still have the same delicious result.
Just set the temperature at about 190 C (374 F) and cook for 10 minutes, or until you see the spring rolls turn golden brown.
Ready-to-cook Lumpiang Shanghai
One good thing about lumpiang shanghai is you can make ahead of time. If you’re planning to make large batches of these, especially for a celebration, you can prepare these spring rolls a couple of days before the actual date.
This is a good idea if you have a busy schedule, and if you don’t want to exhaust yourself from preparing all of the food. Just remember to put them in a container and put them properly in the refrigerator, and cook them in your preferred time.
Lumpiang Shanghai Partner Dishes
Lumpiang shanghai is perfect to partner with a number of other dishes, after all, it is commonly prepared for large social gatherings and special occasions, so it’s only natural to have a lot of food prepared on the table.
Of course there are actually no restrictions when it comes to other food, but these are some of the suggested ones you can serve as well:
- Pancit Canton
- Pancit Bihon
- Pork Menudo
- Beef Mechado
- Pinoy-style Spaghetti
- Pinoy-style Carbonara
- Lumpiang Sariwa
Dipping Sauces You Can Use
Since the lumpiang shanghai is a finger food, it is only appropriate to have a dipping sauce with it for maximum deliciousness!
There are popular dipping sauces partnered with these tasty treats, such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and sweet chili sauce. You can even try other types of dips such as melted cheese if you want, or maybe you could even invent a new type of dip to partner with lumpiang shanghai.
What do you use? Suggest them in the comments below!
How to Store and Reheat Lumpiang Shanghai
When storing lumpiang shanghai, make sure it is completely cool, then transfer it to a clean food container with lid. You can place this in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, you can use a microwave oven but it’ll be better to use a conventional oven or an oven toaster to bring back its crispiness. Set the temperature at 175 C (347 F) and heat for at least 5 minutes.
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Best Lumpiang Shanghai Recipe!
Equipment
- Cooking Pan
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 500 g (1.1 lbs) ground pork, (or ground beef)
- 1 pc large-sized onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pc large-sized carrot, chopped
- ½ cup parsley (or celery), chopped
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 pcs egg, beaten
- salt and pepper, to taste
Other Ingredients
- 40 pcs lumpia wrapper, (see article above to make your own)
- 4 cups cooking oil, for deep frying
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Mix until well-incorporated.
- In a flat working space, place the lumpia wrappers. Add-in a portion of the mixture (1 to 2 tbsps) at the bottom part of the wrapper. Then fold the wrapper into the filling, rolling it into a log-shape. Repeat the step for the rest of the mixture.
- In a cooking pot, pour-in and heat oil in medium heat.
- Add-in the lumpiang shanghai rolls. Deep-fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown and it floats.
- Transfer to a serving plate or serving tray. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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