Authentic Asian – Chef Pablo's Recipes

Filipino Lumpia Recipe

Chef Pablo — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:07:58 +0000

Having lived most of my life in San Diego, I've become very familiar with all of the delicious Filipino cuisine, including Pancit (noodles) and Chicken Adobo. However, by far, my absolute favorite dish from the Philippines are these delicious little spring rolls called Lumpia (pronouced "LOOM-pee-ah"). As I'm writing this, the ~~Super Bowl~~ (oooops, can't legally say that... the "big game") is coming up in a few weeks and I immediately started thinking about my favorite Lumpia recipe.

What are Lumpia?

Filipino Lumpia are about 3-4 inches long and between 1/2" and 3/4" in diameter, which is a little smaller than the egg rolls you might get at your local Chinese take-out. They're made with a paper thin pastry wrapper, rolled up and stuffed with finely ground pork, beef or a combination of both (feel free to experiment with this). The meat is mixed with minced carrots, onions and thinly shredded cabbage. The rolled up Lumpia are then deep fried just until golden brown and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. San Diego has the second largest Filipino American population of any county in the United States. Growing up in San Diego, enjoying Filipino food was just as common as having a taco or hamburger. It's one of the reasons I love my hometown and something I've come to miss now that I'm living on the East Coast. Thankfully, I've been able to master cooking authentic Filipino cuisine, including Lumpia, Pancit (Filipino noodles) and Adobo (chicken or pork cooked in a tangy sauce consisting mostly of vinegar, garlic and soy sauce).

Lumpia: The Perfect Pot Luck or Party Food.

I can't remember a pot luck at work that didn't include a giant platter heaping with a couple hundred (yes, a couple hundred) beautiful golden brown Lumpia waiting to be devoured. They were usually made form Mom or Grandmas recipe, but the friendly and incredibly hospitable culture of the Philippines meant someone was always eager to help you make your own. One thing to note about Lumpia that sets them apart from your typical Chinese egg roll is the wrapper. Filipino Lumpia are made with a paper thin pastry wrapper very similar to a French crepe. This is what makes them so flakey and gives the exterior of them a light and airy feel. If you have an Asian market near you, you'll usually find the Lumpia wrappers in the freezer section, but I would encourage you to try making your own (at least once). There definitely is an art to making the wrappers, but, with some practice you'll be surprised how good you will get. I'll be posting a recipe and video for these very soon (check back or subscribe to my newsletter so you don't miss out). In the meantime, don't hesitate to buy the pre-made wrappers at a local Asian market.

Don't Forget the Dipping Sauce.

Once your Lumpia are done, you can eat them by themselves, but there's something very special about spooning on a bit of sweet and sour sauce. This isn't very hard to make and most American grocery stores will carry La Choy or another brand of sweet and sour dipping sauce that will work just fine. You can also order it through this link to Amazon. You can also pick up a bottle of the Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce which a LOT of people enjoy instead of sweet and sour sauce.

*Please note: I included a couple of affiliate links to Amazon in the above paragraph. Buying the products through those links does help support this website. Thanks!

Ok, if you're ready, let's get on with making these Filipino Lumpia so you can experience one of the most popular dishes from the fabulous cuisine of the Philippines.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
1 pound Ground Pork
1/2 cup Onion; Chopped
2 cloves Garlic
1/2 Cup Carrot; Minced
1/2 Cup Cabbage; Shredded
1/2 Cup Green Onion; Chopped
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
30 each Lumpia Wrappers
1 Egg; Beaten

Method

Step 1

Heat a large skillet or wok over a medium-high to high heat and add in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the ground pork.

Step 2

Cook, stirring frequently until the pork is done and you can't see any pink. Make sure you use a fork to break the pork up as fine as possible (some people will cool the pork and mince it further in a food processor).

Step 3

Remove from the pan, draining off as much fat as possible (leave some in the pan). Let the pork cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Step 4

In the same pan, cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 2-3 minutes.

Step 5

Reduce to a medium-low heat and add in the carrots and cabbage and stir for about 1 minute.

Step 6

Add in the green onions, soy sauce and cooked ground pork. Cook for about 1 minute, remove from the heat and set aside until it's cool enough to handle.

Step 7

Scramble the egg in a small bowl and set aside to use for sealing your rolled up lumpia.

Step 8

Lay out one of the lumpia wrappers in front of you (in a diamond shape) and spread about 2-3 heaping tablespoons of the filling in a line across the bottom 1/3 of the wrapper.

Step 9

Fold the bottom of the wrapper up towards the middle and then fold in each side. Roll up, keeping it as tight as possible.

Step 10

Brush a small amount of the egg wash on the edge of the wrapper and seal the lumpia closed and place your lumpia rolls on a plate covered with a very lightly damp towel until all of them are finished.

Step 11

Add 2 cups of vegetable oil to a heavy skillet (should be about 1/2" deep) and heat to approximately 375 degrees. This typically will take about 5 minutes over a medium heat.

Step 12

Place 3-4 lumpia into the pan and cook about 1-3 minutes or until golden brown. If you add too many at one time, you'll cool the oil and they won't fry properly. I will add in 1 lumpia, cook for about 1 minute and then add in the next one, until I have 3 of them in the pan. Then I just replace each finished lumpia with a new one.

Step 13

Lumpia is traditionally served with sweet and sour dipping sauce, but get creative and use whatever you like the best.

The post Filipino Lumpia Recipe appeared first on Chef Pablo's Recipes.

Filipino Pancit Recipe (Stir-fried Bihon noodles)

Chef Pablo — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 20:39:36 +0000

The Filipino Pancit recipe I’ve enjoyed the most has been made with thin rice noodles called Bihon. It’s really Chinese rice vermicelli and you can find many varieties of it inside every Asian market. The packaging will usually have a S, M, L or even XL somewhere on it. This is to let you know the width of the noodles. For Pancit I typically use the small noodles or as they’re sometimes called “Rice sticks.”

Better Than Birthday Cake?

According to tradition, every birthday should be celebrated by eating noodles. They serve as a symbol of long life and for this reason; you should never cut up your noodles, as you can imagine what that does to your long life. In the Philippines it’s the custom to serve Pancit at a birthday celebration, or really, any celebration. In fact, it’s served at any gathering… even a gathering of just a few. It’s that delicious. Just like so many traditional local foods, there are a lot of Pancit recipes in the world. I’m going to give you just a few and then I’ll share with you the recipe I grew up with in San Diego. It’s very easy to make and it’s a fantastic dish for parties or potlucks. Not only does it reheat well, it’s delicious hot, cold or even at room temperature. It’s just delicious period!

Different Types of Pancit

Pancit Canton is very popular in the Philippines and really all over the world now. The Chinese originally introduced Pancit itself to the people of the Philippines. Canton province of China is in the most southeast part of the country, closest to the Philippines, so you can imagine, Cantonese flavors have made their way into some of the Filipino cuisine. The most notable difference between what I’m going to show you and Pancit Canton are the noodles. Pancit Canton is made with wheat egg noodles, more like you would find in a Chinese Lo Mein dish. Pancit Malabon comes from Malabon City, a place with rich seafood resources, which obviously shows up in this version of Pancit. The sauce is made with fish sauce and shrimp paste and then topped with lots of local seafood including squid, oysters and boiled shrimp. It’s typically garnished with boiled duck eggs, but regular chicken eggs would work as well. The noodles used in Pancit Malabon are a thicker rice noodle than the Pancit Bihon I’m going to share with you below. The other varieties of Pancit you’ll find served in the Philippines include Palabok or Luglog, Habhab (served on a banana leaf and slurped up without utensils), Sotanghon and more. As I mentioned, Pancit is kind of a broad term for Filipino noodles, so you have many varieties. It’s kind of like asking how to make a hamburger or a pizza, it depends on what you like on yours and how you like it prepared.

My Favorite Pancit Recipe

As I mentioned earlier, my favorite Filipino Pancit recipe is called Pancit Bihon and it’s made with Bihon rice noodles, sometimes called “Rice Sticks.” It’s a very thin vermicelli noodle made from finely ground rice, just as you would use flour, a ground wheat. This gives them a very light and fresh taste and texture. With this recipe, I’m giving you the basics, but please realize, Pancit is a wonderful opportunity to experiment with extra ingredients. Try adding in some different vegetables or meats and seafood. Snow or snap peas, bean sprouts, celery, crabmeat, or whatever else you may have in the fridge and you figure would taste good in an Asian dish. If you have a favorite Pancit recipe or you have a variation on this, which you think would make it better, please share it below in the comments so others can give it a try. Masiyahan (Enjoy)!

Ingredients

1 Package (8-12 oz) Rice Noodles; Labeled "Pancit Bihon" or just "Bihon"
1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
1 Onion; Finely sliced
4 cloves Garlic; minced
1 cup boneless chicken breasts; diced
1 cup Pork; diced
1/2 cup Shrimp; Bay or salad shrimp
8 cups Cabbage; Shredded (approx.1 sm head)
4 Carrots; Julienned
1/4 cup Soy Sauce; Light (Silver Swan brand is from the Philippines)
1/4 cup Chicken Broth; Optional - Depending on how soft you like it
1 Egg; Hard Boiled and sliced for garnish

Method

Step 1

Take the dry noodles and submerge them in warm water and set them aside while you prepare everything else (but not for too long).

Step 2

Boil your egg if it's not already.

Step 3

Place a large skillet or wok on the stove over a medium heat and pour the vegetable oil in the skillet or wok.

Step 4

Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are soft.

Step 5

Add the chicken and pork and cook until done.

Step 6

Add the shrimp along with the soy sauce and cook for 1 minute.

Step 7

Add the cabbage and carrots and cook until the cabbage is soft.

Step 8

If you prefer a more moist Pancit, add in the chicken broth (you may want to try it without first).

Step 9

Remove the noodles from the water and drain just until they're no longer dripping and add to the skillet or wok and toss over a medium heat until well mixed.

Step 10

Place on a large platter or bowl and garnish with sliced or quartered egg.

The post Filipino Pancit Recipe (Stir-fried Bihon noodles) appeared first on Chef Pablo's Recipes.