Lumpia

Today, my daughter helped me make lumpia, a traditional Filipino dish. I will happily share my recipe here...However, please note that I use standard Filipino measurements, which is to say, the ingredient proportions are never the same. A pinch of this, a handful of that, cook just until it "looks like this". I usually make up my own with what I like and/or what I have on hand. Shrimp lumpia is a favorite in my house. However, I have a few pounds of pork for other recipes that I will be making this week. Consequently, I am using pork for this batch of Lumpia.

Here goes:

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds of ground pork (more or less, to preference)
half head of medium cabbage (more or less, to preference)
1/2 bag or 1 cup of shredded or matchstick carrots (more or less, to preference)
2 packages of egg roll wrappers, or lumpia wrappers
1 cup of canola oil, for frying

Optional ingredients: minced garlic, soy sauce, onions, red cabbage (for color), cooked shrimp, ground or shredded beef or chicken

Directions:

1) Chop one half head of a medium sized cabbage. This should make about 3 cups of chopped cabbage. Set aside.

2) Brown pork in skillet. Drain excess fat. Add the cabbage and the shredded or matchstick carrots to skillet and heat until the cabbage and carrots are soft (but not mushy). Place mixture in a big bowl and place on work table. 3) Fill a small bowl with water to help close the wrappers.
4) Place a wrapper onto a plate, arranged like a diamond.

Place about 1.5 tablespoons of the mixture into the center. Dip your fingers in your water bowl, and smooth water onto the sides and top of your wrapper.

5) Fold up the bottom. 6) Fold in the sides, so it looks like an envelope. 7) Then roll the lumpia up, towards the top of the wrapper. This picture shows the top folded down, just like an envelope. However, if you roll them, as written in my instructions, they will look like rolls. 8) Place the rolls on a plate. I used a baking dish because the sides help keep all of the rolls I made from falling off.

9) Pour oil into a small skillet and heat to 350 degrees (I used a thermometer). Fry each side of each lumpia for about a minute - each side should be a golden brown.

10) Place cooked lumpia on top of paper towels to soak up excess oil. I used a plate today, but I think using cookie racks would have done a swell job.

11) Hide some for yourself, or they will be all gone before your last batch is cooked.

12) Enjoy!