A Healthy Fresh Lumpia Recipe That You Need This Month

How do you beat the booze- and sugar-fest that is December? Do your body a favor and give it the nutrition that it needs: this fresh lumpia recipe is packed with both veggies and flavor. You can also mix and match the fillings as you please. For example, you can make an all-veggie fresh lumpia, then garnish with fun toppings like crushed peanuts and seaweed, and a soy-based sauce.

 

Fresh Lumpia Recipe

 

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

¼ kilo medium shrimp, peeled and chopped

½ cup white onions, chopped

2 tablespoons   garlic, minced

1/4 kilo ground pork

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup carrots, grated

1 cup green beans, thinly sliced

1 cup jicama (singkamas), thinly sliced

1/3 cup wood ear mushrooms (tenga ng daga), rehydrated and chopped

½ head cabbage, shredded

½ cup firm tofu, chopped

¼ cup water or chicken stock

1 cup water

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved into 2 tablespoons water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup ground peanuts

2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup deep-fried vermicelli, chopped

¼ cup hoti, toasted on a dry pan

6 to 8 large lumpia wrappers

6 to 8 lettuce leaves, trimmed

 

1

Make the filling: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large wok. Sauté shrimp until pink. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

 

2

Heat remaining oil in the same wok. Sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add ground pork and cook until browned. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add carrots and green beans; cook for 1 minute. Add jicama and mushrooms; cook for another minute. Add cabbage and tofu; toss to mix well. Add water or stock. Cover wok partially and let vegetables steam for 1 minute, or until water or stock has evaporated.

 

3

Add shrimp and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter and set aside.

 

4

Make the sauce: Place water, soy sauce, sugars, and vinegar in a small saucepan. Boil and cook until sugar dissolves and the vinegar's acidity has mellowed. Add dissolved cornstarch and let mixture thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

 

5

Mix together peanuts and sugar in a small bowl. In another bowl, combine sotanghon and hoti.

 

6

Lay a lumpia wrapper on a flat surface. Place a lettuce leaf on the center. Top with 2 to 3 tablespoons filling. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon peanut mixture and 1 tablespoon sotanghon mixture. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon sauce. Fold the bottom of the wrapper then the sides to enclose the filling. Wrap tightly. You can wrap the lumpia with foil, wax paper, or parchment paper, if desired. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve warm with extra sauce on the side.