If you've read my lumpiang hubad recipe before, you'll notice that the accompanying sauce has been recently tweaked. I attended a potluck party for a mom-to-be friend of mine last weekend and as you would expect when a dozen or so Filipino women congregate in one place, there was a plethora of food from pork adobo, kare-kare and (my very own) pancit malabon to cassava cake, leche flan and fruit salad. Although I sampled and enjoyed almost everything, it was the fresh lumpia that my girlfriend, Cathy, brought to the party that had me coming back for more (and more). The vegetable filling was delicious but it was the sauce I couldn't get enough of. I literally chased her around the room until she finally caved in and parted with her secret ingredient: peanut butter. Yup, two tablespoons of peanut butter added to the lumpia sauce.
The Filipino lumpia come in many forms and lumpiang ubod is one example. In this fresh variant, strips of palm heart are sauteed with shrimp and pork, rolled in crepe-like wrappers made with cornstarch and eggs, and doused with a sweet sauce infused with peanuts and garlic. Happy cooking!
Lumpiang Ubod
Ingredients
For the Lumpia Filling
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ¼ pound pork belly, diced
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- ½ cup water
- 2 pounds about 4 cups ubod, cut into matchsticks
- salt and pepper to taste
- green leaf lettuce leaves, ends trimmed and leaves separated
For the Lumpia Sauce
- 2-¾ cups water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts, ground
- 1 head garlic, , peeled and minced
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
For the Lumpia Wrappers
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups water
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon oil
- nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- In a wide pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened. Add pork and cook until lightly browned. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until color changes. Add fish sauce and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add water and continue to cook until pork is tender. Add ubod. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until ubod is tender and pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from pan and drain well.
- Lay a wrapper on a flat surface and place a lettuce leaf on top. Spoon about ¼ cup filling across the middle of wrapper and fold sides to cover filling.
- Pour sauce on top of prepared lumpia and garnish with additional minced garlic and ground peanuts, if desired.
For the Lumpia Sauce
- In a sauce pot over medium heat, combine 2-½ cups of the water, soy sauce, brown sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly, until sugar is dissolved. Add garlic and peanuts. Continue to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a bowl, combine corn starch and the remaining ¼ cup water. Stir until mixture is smooth.
- Whisking vigorously, add corn starch mixture into soy sauce mixture. Continue to cook, whisking regularly, until thickened. Add peanut butter and stir until dissolved and well combined.
For the Lumpia Wrappers
- In a large bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Whisk together until smooth. Add eggs, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine until mixture is the consistency of thin, runny batter.
- Set a 9-inch nonstick pan over low heat. Lightly spray surface of pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add ¼ cup batter and gently tilt pan on all sides to cover with batter. Cook for about 30 to 40 seconds. When edges of batter begin to pull from sides and small bubbles begin to form in the middle of crepe, gently flip to other side using a spatula. Cook for another 10 seconds or until top is firm and dry. Remove crepe from pan by gently sliding onto plate. Repeat with remaining batter, spraying pan with nonstick cooking spray in between cooking.
Hi Lalaine, can I use the canned version of Ubod? I can't find neither a frozen nor a fresh one anywhere here in Dubai.. Appreciate your repluy. Thaanks!
I've never tried using the canned ones but I think it should work. You might have to rinse the ubod very well as canned vegetables are usually packed in salty brine.
Hi can I use store bought egg rolls wrapper?
Egg roll wrappers might be too thick for this kind of lumpia but try to find spring roll wrappers which are thinner.
Hi lalain, when making fresh lumpia, I am torn between two versions of making the wrapper, one is using a flour, and one is using cornstarch which you just did, so my question is which is better between the two?
Hello Ruby,
I used to use flour and it works well but I tried fresh lumpia from a restaurant made with cornstarch and I like it better. The wrappers are softer.
Hi! Can we use your photo and ingredients for our Instagram post? We will make sure to credit you and put the URL for your site. Thank you!
Can i make the wrapper in advance? How long will it stay if I make it in advance? Thanks
Yes, you can. Just put wax paper between each wrapper and then store in an airtight container. I think they'd be ok for 2 to 3 days 🙂
Hi! Lalaine, thanks so much for sharing this recipe and please tell your friend thanks as well for sharing the wonderful sauce 🙂 I love this recipe so much!!!! Anyway, I just want to tell you that I shared it on my blog https://khadijahsali.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/1375/
Have a great weekend!
Isn't the sauce awesome? The peanut butter really makes a big difference. Thank you sharing the recipe on your website, I really appreciate it.
Miss Lalaine,where did u get the ubod? Is it only in asian stores? I've been wanting to make this. Thanks! More power to u!
Hi Marj,
I buy most of my ingredients from Seafood City in Cerritos. You'll find ubod in their frozen section.
thank you for this..
You're welcome 🙂
Message re-typed:
Thank you Kawalingpinoy and Onionringsandthings for the wonderful recpes! (simley)
Btw, I have cooked the following, which were adopted from the sites, for my father's birthday con family-get-together last Monday:
-lumpiang ubod
-cheese puto
-pichi-pichi
-buko pandan
-mini cherry cheesecake (only available is blueberry)
More to cook these coming days..(smiley)
Wow! That's a lot missing! I am sorry I am not very good with the techie side but I'll ask somebody to look at the possible problem.
Thank you for trying a lot of the recipes. I hope your dad had a wonderful birthday. He sure had plenty of good food on his special day 🙂
I've noticed that the missing parts from the previous comments were also those following the smiley icon.
As for me, the big SMILE from their faces after eating remains steady. Thank you, Ms. Lalaine for being an instrument of good vibes! (big smile)
And thank you, Ms Joyce, for continually inspiring me to continue cooking and sharing here. Your comments and feedback make my day 🙂
Aww! Missing part again after the smiley icon..
Hi Joyce
I am not really sure what's going. 🙁 The email notification I receive from wordpress for your comment is exactly the same as the above. No smiley icons.
Thank you Kawalingpinoy and Onionringsandthings for the wonderful recipes!
Hello Miss Lalaine. I'd been trying and searching for lumpiang ubod recipe and
How to cook perfectly especially the sauce. It seems only you answered my wishes. Your recepi is perfectly soothed to my husband's taste buds. Thank you and please continue share your cooking wisdom to others. May God be with you always.
Thank you so much, Nida, for the positive feedback. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
Hi! I tried this recipe and the folks and I love it especially the lumpia sauce, tastes terrific. Just a newbie cook and you made this simple to do. Thank you for sharing this. Sending my love from the Philippines ♥ ^_^
HI Pam
It's my friend's tip, I think, the peanut butter makes a difference and makes the sauce extra yummy 🙂
I live in Florida. If I don't find ubod, what is the best replacement?
Hi Maria
You can always do an assorted veggie version.. here is a link https://www.kawalingpinoy.com/2014/02/lumpiang-hubad-2/. Just wrap the veggie mixture in the egg wrapper as you would the ubod. 🙂
Are you base in US? Just wondering, where can you find ubod in US?
Hello Flor,
Yes, I live in Southern California. I usually buy Filipino groceries from Seafood City. 🙂