Veggie Lumpia (Egg Rolls)

Well, I don't know that lumpia is necessarily a low carb food, but if you don't eat a ton of them all at once (like Jon) I think it can fit into a low carb diet.  As far as I calculated each lumpia should be around 14g of carbs, so the two I had at dinner a couple days ago wouldn't have been too bad! 



Sorry, I didn't get many pictures of the rolling process, I was making these while the kiddos were napping and the hubby was at work!  Remember, just think "skinny burrito" when you roll them.



This nebulous recipe comes from my sister's mother in law.  It's really simple.  So simple that I feel almost silly posting it on the blog.  But judging from all my friends who I know absolutely love it, I thought it'd be worth a post.  Oh and if Jon eating 5 of these large lumpia at dinner says anything....they're pretty good. 

Lumpia are basically egg rolls.  No self-respecting filipino party ever goes without lumpia in one form or another.  I personally haven't ventured into lumpia shanghai territory yet (meat lumpia shanghai style), but I make these whenever I'm hosting a party!

So here's how to make them!

Veggie Lumpia
Adapted from Tita Nette
Makes about 40 egg rolls

Ingredients
1 head of cabbage 
1 carrot
(You can also use 2 bags of coleslaw mix instead of the cabbage and carrots if you want to make life even easier)
2 tsp garlic powder
2tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1tbsp oil for sauteeing

lumpia wrappers (also called egg roll wrappers)

Oil for frying



Shredding cabbage and carrots takes pretty much zero time if you have a food processor.  This way you can make organic, super fresh lumpia too!!  I'm pretty sure it'd be cheaper than buying coleslaw mix as well.



Procedure

1. Heat 1tbsp of oil in a large pot and add the cabbage and carrot.

2.  Sprinkle with the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and continue stirring until the veggies are just barely wilted.

3.  Take the veggies off the heat and let them cool to at least room temp.  This will happen faster if you take them out of the pot and transfer them to a cool bowl.

Wrapping

4.  Lay out 1 egg roll wrapper and keep the rest of your wrappers under a damp towel so they don't dry out.

5.  Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of veggie filling onto the wrapper and wrap the edge over, then the two sides and roll tightly.  Think "skinny burrito".  Make sure you roll everything as tightly as possible to prevent lumpia explosions in the hot oil.  I'm not so good at this, but they usually turn out well enough to handle and eat!

6.  After rolling all your lumpia heat some oil on low-medium heat in a large pot and fry away!  The oil should come at least half way up the sides of the lumpia.  If the oil doesn't make a sizzling sound when the lumpia are placed in, then it's not hot enough.  Watch them carefully!  When you start to see the bottoms/sides turn golden brown flip them over.  I think everyone's stove and pots are different, so you'll just have to get into a rhythm with this and watch them closely. 

7.  Drain on paper towels and enjoy when cool enough to handle!

If you end up with left over lumpia then simply place them in a toaster oven on low for a few minutes to help them crisp up again.  If you use a microwave they'll just be soggy and gross, not to mention potentially hazardous to your health.





Hopefully you enjoy these, I don't honestly know anyone I've served these to that hasn't!  My one caution is to be very careful choosing lumpia wrappers.  I got a bad brand this time because I was trying something new.  They were all stuck together and I had a lot of wrappers with holes in them.  If nothing else, be extremely careful while you're separating them.

Happy Eating!

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Dear God,

  thank you for family gatherings and joyful celebrations.  Help us to remember that we belong to a larger global family and always be mindful of how our actions affect our brothers and sisters elsewhere.  Amen.