Lumpiang Prito – Vegetable Egg Rolls in Vinegar Dipping Sauce

Crisp, crunchy, round fried wraps filled with a mix of bean sprouts, potatoes, ground pork and tofu. I cracked the Filipino vegetable lumpia in half, (say ” loom- pee- yah” ) sprinkled some spicy hot vinegar inside the opened top of the vegetable roll. Quickly, I bit off the lumpia, while the vinegary side sauce flowed down my wrist. This was the best part of eating the vegetable lumpia. I didn’t care that the vinegar dipping sauce slid down the sides from my fingers, my wrist  and down towards  the table. I savored the garlicky aroma of the vinegar and slathered more into the freshly fried egg roll. The entire Filipino vegetable lumpia was terrific and a gustatory experience in itself.

What started out as a simple bean sprouts dish sautéed in potatoes and onions turned out to be such a delightful egg roll wrapped “lumpia”, a classic Filipino vegetable roll.

I came home from the market with a huge bag of bean sprouts and a sack of potatoes. I already knew I had the makings of some great lumpia, a classic family favorite with vegetables. I swear, this was the best way I could make my kids eat veggies when they were growing up. It was the crunchy rolls that got them hooked.

First, I prepared a quick saute of garlic, onions, ground pork,  cubed potatoes and the bean sprouts. The whole stir fry process only took 5 minutes to do. You don’t want to overcook this because you have to give time for the vegetable egg roll to pan-fry later.

Then I took the bowl of ground pork, potatoes, tofu and bean sprouts and drained these mixture in a colander. This process helped remove the excess liquid from the saute. Once the liquid was drained off and the sautéed veggies had cooled off a bit, I started wrapping egg rolls.

All you need to do is put approximately two tablespoons of the vegetable mix in the middle of a Filipino “lumpia” or egg roll wrapper. Find these egg wrappers at Asian groceries by the freezer section. There are Filipino brands and Chinese labels. Both types of egg wrappers are good to work with. Thaw them at room temperature and wrap up the vegetables. Freeze them inside plastic bags for at least a day, or  for a good month or two. When ready, pan fry them in very hot oil in a medium skillet. Fry a few batches at a time, to maintain a good heat in the frying pan.

Watch the egg rolls sizzle in the skillet and see the wrapper puff up when it turns golden brown. Rotate the egg wrapped vegetable lumpia for even cooking. Pan sear them for at least 2 minutes overall. Once ready, drain on paper towels. Cut the egg rolls diagonally for a pretty sight. Be sure to have the standard bowl of rice and spicy vinegar-garlic dipping sauce to serve with this. It’ll be an unforgettable Filipino vegetable egg roll meal.

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Lumpiang Prito - Vegetable Egg Rolls in Vinegar Dipping Sauce

The classic Filipino Lumpiang Prito- Vegetable Egg Rolls consist of potatoes, bean sprouts, some ground pork, tofu bits sautéed in garlic and onions. I drained the vegetables a few quick minutes. Then I wrapped them, like a mini burrito and sealed the egg roll with egg wash. They fried better after I froze them. These vegetable egg rolls only took 2 to 4 minutes in a hot skillet to cook. When they were ready, I served the vegetable lumpia hot accompanied by a dipping sauce of vinegar filled with garlic, chilis, salt, black pepper powder. These are great as a vegetable side to any main dish, or as a meal in itself. Perfect for packing into those lunchboxes, too, when school starts. This recipe serves 6 to 8, or makes approximately 10 to 12 egg rolls, each measuring 3 inches in length. This is an Asian in America recipe.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Vegetables

Cuisine: Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Lumpiang Prito Vegetable Egg Rolls

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 286kcal

Author: Elizabeth Ann Quirino

Ingredients

• 10 to 12 pieces egg roll wrappers thawed at room temperature
• 1 whole onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced, for saute
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 whole large sized potatoes peeled, cubed or 2 cups cubed
• 3 cups mung bean sprouts washed
• 1 cup cubed extra firm tofu pre-fried before mixing in
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar or use regular white or cane vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt divided, use 1 teaspoon for saute, rest for dipping sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper powder use 1 teaspoon for saute, rest for dipping sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 whole egg beaten; add 1/2 cup water for egg wash
• 2 stalks scallions chopped, for garnish
• for serving: steamed rice
• 2 pieces bird's eye chilies chopped, added to vinegar dipping sauce

Instructions

• To make the filling: In a medium skillet, over medium high heat, saute the garlic, onions. Add the ground pork and cubed potatoes. Cook for five minutes. Then add the bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute more. Mix in the pre-cooked cubed tofu.  Add a few drops of sesame oil. Turn off the heat. Do not overcook because the vegetables and pork will cook some more when you pan fry the lumpia rolls later.
• Put the vegetable mixture in a colander to drain off liquids before wrapping.
• To wrap the lumpia: Prepare the lumpia or egg roll wrappers, by thawing them at room temperature on the counter. Separate the lumpia wrappers carefully. If frozen a long time, they tend to stick to each other. You can only separate them once they’ve been thawed.
• Work on a dry surface. Place the egg roll wrapper on a plate or board. Add two tablespoons of the bean sprouts vegetable-pork mixture in the middle of the wrapper.
• Wrap it like you would a burrito. Roll the center away from you. Tuck the left and right sides inwards. Keep rolling away from you. Seal the edges by brushing with egg wash.
• Keep egg rolls in a plastic sealed bag or a plastic container well sealed. Keep in the freezer overnight before pan frying. You can also keep these uncooked egg rolls for 1 to 2 months in the freezer till ready to pan fry.
• To pan fry : In a hot skillet, over medium high heat, add the vegetable oil. Allow the oil to heat up for at least 1 minute, but do not let it burn. The lumpia or egg rolls fry to a crisp if oil is hot enough.  Place the vegetable egg rolls or lumpia in the center to pan fry. Fry the egg rolls a few at a time so that hot oil does not cool or lower in temperature if there are too many in a skillet.
• Pan fry the egg rolls for 2 minutes at a time. Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.
• Serve egg rolls crisp and hot with boiled jasmine white rice and an accompanying vinegar dipping sauce.
• To make vinegar dipping sauce : Mix the vinegar, chilis, chopped garlic, freshly ground black pepper, salt. Stir and blend well. Serve as a side dipping sauce to the lumpia.
• Cook's comments: When making this Filipino vegetable lumpia, feel free to add other vegetables like cubed carrots, sliced green beans, chopped celery, cabbage or any produce you have on hand. You can also add chicken bits, shredded fish or small shrimps to the saute. This is a versatile recipe and you can add leftovers or any ingredients on hand.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 811mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg

Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.

Did you like this recipe?I have more Filipino Instant Pot recipes in my newest cookbook Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Cooking in A Multicooker Pot by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. I also have more classic recipes inspired by my mother’s cooking in my popular cookbook: My Mother’s Philippine Recipes. If you’re learning how to cook Filipino food or a fan of Philippine cuisine, buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

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