The Corporate Cookbook

About This Recipe:

This recipe was half invented by my grandma in Indonesia, and half by my mom. My grandma would make this cooked vegetable medley of string beans, jicama, and carrots that my mom loved eating as a side dish or on rice as a kid. Then my mom decided to add in some minced shrimp and stuff it into a wrapper to make the best lumpia. I’m honestly not a fan of Chinese spring rolls, but these lumpias are pure gold.

The key to a successful lumpia is to have a very dry filling so that the outside can get super crispy and golden. That means that the vegetables have to be cooked for a pretty long time so that there is as little moisture as possible. Also, pre-shredded carrots and jicama won’t work as well- it needs to be hand grated for the right texture and size. This process from start to finish is a bit labor intensive, but I’ve never had a better spring roll!

Enjoy!

Ingredients (makes 12 spring rolls)

-1/3 lb shrimp, very finely minced
-2 cups string beans, very thinly sliced on a diagonal
-1.5 cups finely shredded jicama (squeeze out the liquid)
-.5 cup finely shredded carrots
-2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
-1 egg white, beaten
-1 package of spring roll wrappers (I use the Wei-Chuan super thin ones)
-Vegetable oil
-Salt and pepper
–Optional– sweet chili dipping sauce

Instructions (1 hour) 

1. In a large wok or skillet over medium high heat, pour in 2 tbls of vegetable oil. Cook the garlic for 2 minutes. Then add in the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and remove to a dish.
2. Add the string beans and carrots to the pan and cook on high heat for about 10 minutes. Then add in the jicama and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. Add the shrimp back in and cook for another few minutes. Place the mixture in a bowl and put in the fridge or freezer to cool completely.
4. Once the mixture is cool, we can start wrapping. Take one wrapper (keep the rest covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out,) and put 2 tbls of the mixture into the center but towards you. I like to do this on a diagonal, roll it up two times, then fold in the sides and continue rolling up. Make sure it’s nice and tight, and then use the egg wash to seal the end.
5. In a deep pan, heat up a few inches of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add the lumpia in batches and fry until golden brown for about 3 minutes per side. Serve with a sweet chili sauce.