MANILA, Philippines — One of the dishes served during the launch of Chef Jam Melchor’s "Kayumanggi: A Kaleidoscope of Filipino Flavors" cookbook recently was Lumpiang Sariwa.
It’s one iconic Filipino dish that serves as an appetizer when Filipino food is presented fine dining style, as a light meal with steamed rice when served in a regular Filipino household, and as a merienda fare when eaten at mid-afternoon to tide over a slight hunger pang between lunch and dinner.
Chef Jam’s version uses a crêpe-like wrapper made from a mixture of flour and eggs, then filled with a medley of fresh vegetables, and served with a sweet and savory sauce made from a mixture of soy sauce, garlic and peanuts.
Here, Chef Jam shares his recipe of Lumpiang Sariwa, with all the works:
Lumpiang Sariwa
Ingredients:
For the lumpia wrapper:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Cooking oil for frying
For the lumpia filling:
250 grams kasim (pork shoulder), boiled and thinly sliced
1 cup small shrimps, peeled and deveined
4 Tbsps. cooking oil
1 pc. small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced firm tofu
1 cup julienned singkamas (jicama)
1 cup julienned sweet potato
1 cup thinly sliced green beans
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
Salt and pepper to taste
For the assembly:
1 cup lettuce leaves, for garnish
1/2cup crushed peanuts
Lumpia sauce*
*For the lumpia sauce:
2 cups water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 2 Tbsps. water
Procedure:
1. To make the lumpia wrapper, combine flour, water, egg and salt in a bowl. Mix until batter becomes smooth.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet or crêpe pan over medium high heat. Lightly grease pan with cooking oil. Pour a ladleful of lumpia batter onto the pan, swirling it around to create a thin, even layer. Cook until edges start to lift and bottom is lightly browned.
3. Carefully flip wrapper and cook other side until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside. Repeat process with the remaining batter.
4. To make lumpia filling, using a separate pot or pan, heat cooking oil over medium heat. Sauté minced onion and garlic until fragrant.
5. Add sliced pork and shrimps. Cook until pork turns brown and shrimps turn pink.
6. Stir in diced tofu and vegetables (jicama, sweet potato, green beans, and cabbage). Cook until vegetables are tender-crisp. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
7. To assemble the lumpia, lay a lumpia wrapper on a clean plate or surface. Place a lettuce leaf in the center of the wrapper. Spoon cooked lumpia filling onto lettuce leaf. Sprinkle crushed peanuts on top.
8. Fold sides of the wrapper over the filling, then roll it up tightly, similar to a burrito. Repeat process with remaining wrappers and filling. Serve with lumpia sauce.
9. To make the sauce, combine water, brown sugar, soy sauce and minced garlic in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Thicken sauce by stirring in the cornstarch-water mixture
10. Continue to simmer until sauce thickens.
11. Serve lumpia with sauce on the side.