Lasang Pinoy 18: Oh My Gulay!: Lumpiang Sariwa

This fresh spring roll is one of my favorite spring/summer dishes. It can be served warm or at room temperature, or even cold; and because it’s individually wrapped you can choose to eat it with your hands. Bring it in a basket to the park for a delicious change to your usual picnic fare.

The filling does take quite a while to make, especially when cutting the vegetables by hand. A sharp knife and steady strokes, however, should make for quick prep work. A few minutes of stir-frying is all it takes. And if you don’t overcook the vegetables, you can even skip the sometimes necessary step of draining them for several hours before wrapping.

If time is a concern, you may of course use pre-cut vegetables or employ your food processor to do some shredding for you, but as with most Filipino dishes, a little fastidiousness on the part of the cook pays off. [An anecdote: I once worked part-time for a caterer cousin, and one of my jobs was to cut the vegetables for her fried lumpia. Work started at 2 am (yup, morning, not afternoon!) because the eggrolls were to be delivered at 6. Not only did it take forever to slice up the veggies, but my cousin was so meticulous in her inspection, that julienned vegetables with a bit of a point to them or were more triangular than rectangular did not make the cut (pun unintended), as they might poke the wrappers and affect the frying/presentation. Needless to say, I did not last long, though I often demand the same rigor of myself and my daughter, now, in our own kitchen.]

The feature that distinguishes Lumpiang Sariwa from other Filipino spring rolls or eggrolls is its wrapper. Light and somewhere between a crepe and an omelet, its softness contrasts beautifully with the crunch from the vegetables within. A sweetish brown sauce, boldly flavored with bits of raw garlic and chopped peanuts, is usually served alongside. When eating with your hands, you simply spoon some of the sauce into the spring roll, sprinkle a bit of garlic and nuts, and chomp away.

I’ve taken the liberty of substituting Vietnamese rice paper for the crepe/omelet wrapper, because of food allergies in the family. Roasted almonds take the place of peanuts, a common allergen, as well. It’s not such a drastic change as to be jarring to those familiar with the traditional recipe, which you can find here. And vegetarians will be happy that the dish, being mostly vegetables, can transition quite easily to a completely meatless version by simply omitting the pork and shrimp and sticking to vegetarian-friendly seasonings.

1/2 cup chopped pork, with a bit of fat
pinch salt
approximately 3 tablespoons canola oil, optional
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup onions, sliced thinly
1/2 cup chopped shrimp, or if using small ones, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup julienned extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 cup julienned jicama
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup julienned sweet potato
1 cup french-cut green beans
1/2 cup julienned celery
1 cup shredded cabbage
2 cups mung bean sprouts, rinsed and drained well
salt to taste, optional

Vietnamese rice paper for wrapping, plus water in a large shallow dish for soaking
Green leaf lettuce — butter lettuce is really nice here

The sauce:

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste

For serving:

minced garlic
roasted chopped nuts — I used almonds here

In a large casserole or 14-inch skillet/wok, heat pork over medium heat, stirring. Add pinch of salt and stir. Cover 5 minutes, adjusting heat so as not to burn the pork, and stirring every once in a while until fat renders. Add just enough oil if necessary to make 3 tablespoons of fat. Add garlic and stir-fry over medium heat, just until beginning to color. Add onions, continuing to stir-fry until limp. Add shrimp and tofu, and season with fish sauce. Stir gently so as not to crumble tofu, just until shrimp is opaque. Add jicama, carrots, sweet potato, green beans, and celery. Stir-fry until vegetables are almost cooked through, then add the cabbage. Stir-fry another minute, then add the bean sprouts. Stir-fry one more minute, and remove from heat. I prefer my vegetable filling naturally sweet from the vegetables, with the saltiness of the sauce providing a nice counterpoint, but you can season with additional salt if you prefer. And if you intend to serve the dish cold, you’ll want to increase the seasonings.

Transfer to a colander set over a dish, and drain for 30 minutes. If the vegetables produced a lot of liquid, though, you may want to do this for several hours or overnight, in the refrigerator.

To make the sauce, add any drained vegetable liquid to the broth. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened. Adjust seasoning.

To wrap: Take one rice paper and soak in water for a few minutes or until completely pliable. Remove from the water and drain lightly on paper towels. Lay one lettuce leaf on side nearest you. Top with 2-3 tablespoons of vegetables, arranging them carefully so they’re lying mostly lengthwise on the lettuce (this will prevent tears). Roll to enclose filling, folding in sides as you go so you end up with a neat little package. Arrange on a dish, lined with more lettuce if you want, and keep covered until serving time. Repeat with the rest of the wrappers and filling.

To serve, top a whole spring roll with some of the sauce, the garlic, and the nuts. At a formal spring dinner you will want to have your guests eat this with knife and fork. If the setting or the occasion doesn’t preclude the use of your hands, however, just follow the instructions above, and enjoy.

This is my entry to Lasang Pinoy 18, hosted by the lovely Toni of Wifely Steps. Thanks so much, Toni!