When it comes to Filipino comfort food, lumpia is a must-have.

In case you don’t know, lumpia is the Filipino version of an egg roll. You can take our word for it when we say it’s both delicious and addicting. Lucky for us, host Raquel in Philadelphia is sharing her recipe for Shanghai lumpia, so you can have it any time you want.

Shanghai lumpia

Shanghai lumpia is an absolute staple in every Filipino household. I remember sneakily eating them as a kid right off the paper towel my mom would cool them on. She knew to make extra because my brothers and I would stuff our faces with the little egg rolls that made an appearance at every family party. I mean is a Filipino party really a Filipino party without lumpia? This recipe is an adaptation from the ones my mom and titas (aunts) used to make when I was a kid. I distinctly remembered biting into so many of them and always seeing orange so I knew when I started making my own that it had to have a good amount of carrots. This recipe is short and simple but will most definitely have you reminiscing about your mom’s kitchen!

Host Raquel
Host Raquel and mom
Host Raquel recreating a photo of her mom at the dining table

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • ¾ cup minced shallots
  • 4 tablespoons garlic
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 pack of spring roll wrappers (can be found in Asian supermarkets)
  • ½ cup water for sealing egg rolls
  • Canola oil for frying
  • Sweet chili sauce for dipping

Instructions

  1. Combine pork, carrots, shallots, garlic, sugar, spices and soy sauce in a medium mixing bowl.  Mix well until fully combined. 
  2. Place one spring roll wrapper on a cutting board or other flat surface and place about 1.5 tablespoons of the pork filling at the bottom of the wrapper. 
  3. Shape the filling into a skinny log almost the length of the bottom of the wrapper. Tuck in the ends of the wrapper to enclose the filling and start tightly rolling into a skinny roll. Dab water onto the end of the wrapper to help seal the roll closed.
  4. Repeat for the remaining filling.
  5. Heat enough oil in a pot to cover the lumpia and heat to about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  6. Before frying the lumpia, cut the rolls in half so they’re about 3-4 inches long. 
  7. Fry the lumpia until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
  8. Once done, lay lumpia over a wire rack to cool.
  9. Serve with your favorite sweet chili sauce for dipping!

Skip the cooking and taste host Raquel’s top-selling dishes for yourself! Grab a seat at her next dinner in Philadelphia here. Hurry though, she sells out fast!