Fried Lumpia

Lumpia are the Filipino answer to the spring roll, and these are the crispy, deep-fried kind that disappear from the plate before you can set the sauce down. Pork and shrimp get mixed with minced mushrooms, diced jicama, green onions, egg yolks, and soy sauce, then rolled tight in thin lumpia wrappers and fried until shattering-crisp and golden.

Jicama is the ingredient that gives these lumpia their signature crunch. Even after frying, those small dice of jicama stay firm and slightly sweet, creating pops of texture against the tender pork and shrimp filling. It’s a distinctly Filipino touch that sets lumpia apart from Chinese egg rolls.

The homemade sweet-sour sauce is worth the extra pot. Vinegar, sugar, water (or pineapple juice for a fruitier version), fresh ginger, and garlic simmer together, then get thickened with a cornstarch slurry into a glossy, tangy dip. It’s sharper and more balanced than any bottled sauce.

Pro Tips

• Roll the lumpia tightly with no air pockets. Loose rolls absorb oil during frying and come out greasy instead of crisp.
• Seal the wrapper edges with a dab of water. A loose seal pops open in the hot oil and the filling leaks out.
• Fry in batches and don’t crowd the pot. Too many lumpia at once drops the oil temperature and they turn soggy.
• Drain on a wire rack, not paper towels. The rack keeps the bottoms crispy while they cool.

Variations

• Use all shrimp and skip the pork for a lighter, seafood-only version.
• Replace jicama with water chestnuts if jicama isn’t available at your market.
• Serve with a spiced vinegar dip (white vinegar, crushed garlic, chopped chili, and black pepper) for a more traditional Filipino accompaniment.