Lumpiang Sariwa (Filipino Fresh Spring Rolls with Avocado)

(This is a long intro, recipe below =]) One of my most favorite Filipino party foods is lumpiang sariwa, or “fresh egg rolls.” In this dish, sautéed vegetables are wrapped in a soft crepe-like wrapper and served with a garlicky dipping sauce. (Think something along the lines of take-out mu shu but WAY better.) They are often sealed closed with peanut butter, a surprising ingredient to some, but probably my favorite part! The peanut butter imparts a creamy, nutty taste that contrasts nicely with the vegetables.

So I thought, hm…creamy and nutty? What else is creamy and nutty? Why, none other than the avocado! Adding slices of avocado to the vegetable filling puts that satisfying creaminess throughout the whole eggroll.

But if that weren’t enough, I thought: why not put it in the wrapper too? The wrapper is typically flavorless, made up of only eggs, cornstarch, and water (or milk). Egg roll wrappers indeed are always neglected flavor-wise, and I suppose that is for the good of whatever delicious filling they conceal beneath their starchy veil. However I once tried a lumpia wrapper made by my brilliant culinarian friend, Casto, who had made delicious pandan-flavored wrappers. So I figured, avocado should work too. The avocado adds a subtle flavor that enhances the taste of the filling without overpowering it at all.

The coolest part about making avocado wrappers is that they’re GREEN! However, when they are cooked the underside becomes golden and when you wrap them you can’t really see the green anymore. But they’re sure fun to look at while you’re making them.

So here is my recipe for lumpiang sariwa, or should I say lumpiang abocado? (the b replacing the v in Tagalog). Technically lumpiang sariwa could include any of your favorite vegetables. In light of my desire to incorporate avocado in the filling, I’ve decided that chayote and string beans would be the best partners, providing light, moist crispness to contrast with the rich dense avocado.

It looks like a lot of ingredients and a lot of work, but it is actually very easy and surprisingly fast. The hardest part is probably mastering the wrapping technique. This takes practice (or like me, many years of forced lumpia-wrapping servitude). Worst case scenario, you could always eat it soft-taco style =) *note, if you are lazy/don’t have enough time to make your own wrappers you COULD use Vietnamese rice paper or spring roll wrappers but they aren’t going to be authentic or taste as good ;)

The lumpia are typically served pre-wrapped at parties, but this could be served as a fun wrap-it-yourself meal for a family. Also, this dish could easily be made vegetarian (to the chagrin of most Filipinos).

Filling:
1 tbs vegetable oil
½ large red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ lb ground pork
¼ lb carrots, grated or julienned
½ chayote, julienned
¼ lb string beans, French cut
¼ lb cabbage, shredded
2 tbs soy sauce
¼ lb raw shrimp, tails off, roughly chopped
1 avocado pitted, peeled and cut into ¼” matchsticks
1/4 tsp sesame oil (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan (or wok) over medium heat. Saute the onions until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ground pork, being sure to break up the meat. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.

2. Add the carrots, chayote, string beans, cabbage, and soy sauce. Saute until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Try not to overcook the vegetables-they should have a slight crispness, do not allow them to become soggy. Add the shrimp and avocado. Cook until the shrimp are cooked and turn pink, about 2-3 minutes. Add the sesame oil, if usinig, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
*note: if the vegetables become overcooked, you will need to drain them in a colander before wrapping*

Wrapper:
3 cups water
2 cups cornstarch
2 whole eggs
¼ avocado
¼ tsp salt
coffee filters or parchment paper

1. Pour the water in a medium-sized bowl and add the cornstarch slowly, whisking to dissolve. Beat in the eggs.

2. Mash in the avocado and add the salt. Whisk the batter, trying to incorporate as much of the avocado as possible. Strain the mixture into a new bowl to remove any avocado or undissolved cornstarch. The batter should be slightly thick, like heavy cream, but not thick like pancake batter. If it is too thick, dilute with a little water.

3. Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. If you are not using non-stick, grease the pan with cooking spray. Pour about ¼ cup of batter into the pan and immediately swirl it into a circle. Continue swirling until the crepe is set and then leave on the heat until it is cooked and the edges just begin to pull away from the pan (should take less than 2 minutes). Do not allow them to overcook, as they will dry out and crack. Crepes should be soft and pliable. Repeat for each crepe.

4. Layer the crepes on a plate, separating each layer with a coffee filter (or parchment paper).

Sauce & Assembly:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup of chicken broth
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
salt & pepper
Approx. 10 romaine lettuce leaves, green parts only, cut in half lengthwise
peanut butter

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, sauté the garlic in the vegetable oil until fragrant. Add the broth, cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper

2. To assemble, lay one piece of romaine on the crepe on the edge closest to you. Spread a small amount (about 1/4 tsp) of peanut butter on the opposite edge. Spoon about 3 tbsp (depending on the size of your crepe) of vegetable filling on top of the lettuce. Carefully wrap the filling, folding in one side, leaving the other side open. Use the peanut butter as a “glue” to seal the roll. Wrap the roll with the coffee filter or parchment paper so that rolls don’t stick to each other. Serve with the sauce.