Tags: Food Preparation, Truly Pinoy Food and Drinks
By Anna Valmero
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA—For lumpia lovers, reinventing a healthier version of your favorite food is not impossible. All you need is a dash of imagination, a scoop of patience and lots of galunggong (scad mackerel) shredded into bits.
I first had my taste of fish lumpia courtesy of my mother. Fish lumpia packs half the calories when you eat the same amount of the usual lumpiang shanghai packed with minced pork. For foodies, tasting how fish infuses a subtle yet satisfying taste to the usual gastronomical delight is a plus.
We owe the Chinese for introducing us to lumpia, whether it is the fried or fresh version. Combined with Filipino ingenuity, the food fare is a staple in buffet tables and among households, who created their own variants of lumpia based on the most abundant ingredient.
Most Filipino moms would tell you that cooking lumpia is another way of stretching the budget for a one-fourth kilo of fish to last two or three meals. It is also devised to introduce picky eaters to vegetables as most lumpia includes bits of carrots, potato and sometimes camote into the mix.
Making fish lumpia is somewhat laborious but the task can be relaxing as well if you tap the help of a friend or your spouse. No need to fret because all that labor is worth it once you take a bit.
One time when my budget was quite lean and I need to get creative to extend my allowance, I decided to make fish lumpia from scratch. The 30 lumpia pieces I made lasted me for three meals and taught me to appreciate the local palengke even more.
I have yet to see a restaurant in the metro that offers fish lumpia. So knowing how to cook this dish is actually a plus. Of course, home cooking means you’re assured of using fresh ingredients.
From your local talipapa, buy one-fourth kilo of fresh galunggong, which is both tasty and not-so-bony. You can also try using deboned bangus from Pangasinan.
The local wet market is a good place to get fresh seafood – not the frozen ones you usually get at air-conditioned groceries. Remember to look for firm flesh, bright clear eyes (not red) and clean smell. You can try haggling for a few pesos but usually you can get half kilo of galunggong for P35.
You will also need a medium potato, carrots, onions (preferably sibuyas Tagalog which is more flavorful) (P10 for five pieces) and garlic. Also, get freshly made lumpia wrappers or you could also use leftover siomai wrappers.
Cook fish lumpia in these three simple steps.
1. Boil the fish in a mixture of soy sauce and crushed garlic. Flake the fish (remove the bones) and set aside.
2. Mince potato, carrots, onion and garlic. Sauté vegetables in a pan for three minutes and add the fish flakes.
3. Pour one tablespoon of the mixture on a lumpia wrapper, roll and seal with water. Fry the lumpia until brown and crispy.
Like lumpiang shanghai, fish lumpia is best served hot. It also goes well with spicy vinegar (or the sinamak variety) mixed with onion, garlic and siling labuyo. Or hot sauce, if you prefer.
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