Popiah – Spring Roll (Lumpia)

Celebrating through colorful dance rituals and processions to recall the Filipino’s paganism and the recognition of their Christianity, Sinulog became one of the grandest and most renowned festival in the country that is being held every third Sunday of January. And to add more colors to the festival in Cebu, Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil is proud to bring Chef Donita Rose for a live cooking demo show during the hype of the Sinulog festival.

The celebrity chef, together with Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil, is currently on a series of festival cooking demos around the country. And as part of the last leg of her nationwide tour, a cooking extravaganza at SM City Cebu Event Center was held recently.

Chef Donita prepared Popiah, a vegetable spring roll (lumpia) that is very famous in Cebu with an added twist to the recipe using her cooking techniques and unique fresh ingredients from the Queen City of the South during the Sinulog Festival. Here’s a copy of the recipe:

• Veggie Filling

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bulb/head Garlic (minced)
• 1 Red Onion (small & minced)
• 1/4 kg Ubod/Palm of Coconut (shredded or cut thin and soaked in water so it doesn’t turn orangey-brown)
• 1 piece Carrot (shredded or cut thin)
• 10 pieces Green Beans (small biased/diagonal cut)
• 5 pieces of Shrimp (shelled, deveined and cut in half lengthwise)
• 2 tbsp Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil
• 2 tbsp Fish Sauce/Patis
• Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Sauté 1/2 head/few cloves of garlic for a few seconds. Add the onion and stir until translucent before adding rest of the veggies. Best cooked al dente or still slightly crunchy. Strain out any remaining liquid and let cool.

• Fresh Wrapper

Ingredients:

• 2 Medium Eggs
• 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup of Water
• Salt (pinch)
• 1 tsp Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil

Directions:

Add dry ingredients to bowl and mix together. In a separate bowl, crack eggs (making sure that they’re fresh and that no eggshells are left) and whisk with water before adding to dry ingredients, making sure that no lumps remain. In a heated non-stick pan, brush a small amount of canola oil on then use a ladle to spoon the batter onto pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat just until batter sets then flip over to repeat. Transfer all wrappers onto a plate and let cool.

• Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Jolly Heart Mate Canola Oil
• 1 head/bulb Garlic (minced)
• 1 Bird’s Eye Chili/Siling Labuyo (way less spicy if seeds are removed)
• 2-4 tbsp Peanuts (ground)
• 1 cup Water
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
• Salt (to taste)

Directions:

Brush pan with a little canola oil.  Add peanuts and toast for a few seconds before adding garlic. Add the water and sugar and mix until sugar dissolves. Pour in soy sauce and then add in cornstarch, stirring constantly so that lumps do not form. When sauce thickens, remove from heat and season with salt to taste. Allow to cool and preferably transfer into a plastic squeeze bottle with a large nozzle to avoid clogging. If nozzle is too small, cut the top with scissors.

• Assembly

Ingredients:

• 2-4 tbsp Peanuts (ground)
• Cilantro sprigs
• Green Ice Lettuce
• Spring Onion (chopped)

Directions:

Place one wrapper on a flat surface. Lay one large leaf of the lettuce with its edge slightly past the edge of the wrapper. Using the squeeze bottle, squeeze a little of the sauce all over the lettuce. (This will ensure sauce isn’t absorbed by the wrapper, making it tear.) Add a handful of the filling near the edge of one side and top with a few pieces of shrimp, cilantro sprigs and some chopped spring onions. Fold over the shorter side of the wrapper to seal in ingredients. Roll over and try to keep it tight without tearing the wrapper. Transfer onto a serving plate and add some extra sauce and peanuts on top. Best eaten fresh and of course, shared with friends and loved ones.