Method
- Combine pork, carrot, water chestnuts, onion, garlic, spring onion, soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, egg, pepper, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in one direction with a spoon for 90 seconds until tacky and bound.
- Test-cook a small spoonful in a hot pan; taste and adjust seasoning before wrapping any.
- Place 1.5 tbsp filling along the lower third of a wrapper, shaping into a thin 12cm log. Filipino lumpiang Shanghai is small — much thinner than Vietnamese cha gio.
- Roll up tightly: bring the bottom edge over the filling, fold the sides in, then roll firmly to the top. Wet the final edge with water to seal. Keep finished rolls covered with a damp cloth; the dough dries out fast.
- Heat oil to 170°C. Fry rolls in batches of 6–8 for 4 minutes, turning, until deeply golden and crisp. Drain on a rack.
- Cut each roll diagonally in half just before serving — the diagonal cut shows the filling and is the Filipino presentation standard. Pile on a plate. Serve hot with banana ketchup or sweet chili sauce. Lumpiang Shanghai freezes excellently uncooked; fry from frozen for parties.
Common questions
Can Lumpiang Shanghai be made ahead?
Lumpiang Shanghai is best made and eaten the same day, but the components can be prepped earlier — chop and measure the ingredients up to a day ahead, refrigerated separately. Final cooking takes about 15 minutes.
Is Lumpiang Shanghai spicy?
Lumpiang Shanghai as written is mild to mildly warming — the heat comes from aromatics rather than chili. Add fresh sliced chili or chili oil at the end if you'd like to push it spicier.
Is Lumpiang Shanghai vegetarian or gluten-free?
This recipe contains gluten via the soy sauce and/or noodles. To make it gluten-free, substitute tamari for soy sauce.
How hard is Lumpiang Shanghai to make at home?
Lumpiang Shanghai sits at intermediate difficulty — total time about 45 minutes. The ingredients are not unusual but the timing requires attention.
Can Lumpiang Shanghai be scaled up or down?
This recipe is written for 6 servings. To scale, multiply each ingredient proportionally; the cooking times stay the same up to about double the volume. Beyond that, expect to cook in batches because of pan size and heat distribution.
Cultural Note
Lumpiang Shanghai ? despite the name ? is not particularly Shanghai's. The naming is a Filipino-Chinese tradition: 'Shanghai' indicated a small fried roll versus the larger lumpiang sariwa. The dish is at every Filipino party, fiesta and birthday gathering. The trinity of fiesta food is lumpia, pancit and lechon. Banana ketchup ? invented in WWII when tomatoes were scarce ? is the Filipino dipping sauce; nothing else matches. Frying in lard gives a more authentic flavour.
