Homemade Lumpia...mmmm

One of my all-time favorite foods is Lumpia.  I don't even know when I had my first one, but I will eat them any time I can get them - which is the problem.  I do not live or work anywhere near a Filipino restaurant (the closest one I know about is an hour away!)  So, what is a girl to do when she is craving one of these yummy rolls?  Make them, of course!  I have attempted them in the past and was not very happy with the results (ground beef doesn't work, even if it is half beef and half pork, and wonton wrappers are not going to get you lumpia - they will not taste the same).  I have also seen them in the grocery store every once in a while, but they usually have fish sauce in them (yes, I know that the ones made at a restaurant probably have fish sauce, but I don't know for sure it's in there - and what I don't know wont make me stop eating them).  I have tried eating those, but all I can taste is the fish sauce (again, yes, it's probably all in my head lol).

So, while I may not have a Filipino restaurant - I do have an Asian food store, Uwajimaya, which is close to where I work.  I needed to stop for something else and thought I would check to see if they had lumpia wrappers - and they did!! I was so excited so I bought them for the weekend.  Then 2 days later (on a Thursday) I just couldn't wait and I made them after work.  I would not recommend doing them at the end of a long night because rolling all of the lumpia takes a long time, but they are sooo worth it.

Ingredients: 
1 pound ground pork
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce
30 lumpia wrappers
2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Over high heat, use a wok or large pan to cook the pork, stirring frequently. Remove the pork from the pan and set aside. Drain grease from the pan, and add the onions and garlic.  Cook for 2 min and add cooked pork, carrots, green onions, and cabbage. Season with pepper, salt, garlic powder, and soy sauce. Remove from heat, and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Place three heaping tablespoons of the filling diagonally near one corner of each wrapper, leaving a 1 1/2 inch space at both ends.  Fold sides and roll - moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap to keep them moist. (You should check the filling amount and adjust as needed.)

Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, and add enough oil to reach 1/2 inch depth, and heat for 5 minutes. Slide 3 or 4 lumpia into the oil. Fry the rolls for 1 to 2 minutes, turning until all sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

These are really easy to make and they taste great.  I only cooked enough for our meal and I froze the rest.  I think I'll go home and make some more for dinner!!