Lumpiang gulay is the crisp fried vegetable spring roll of the Philippines, 'gulay' meaning vegetable. A wrapper is filled with julienned vegetables — typically green papaya or singkamas (jicama), carrot, green beans, and mung-bean sprouts (togue) — then rolled tight and deep-fried until golden and shattering. A meatless everyday merienda, it is eaten with a vinegar dip or sweet-chili sauce.
Like all lumpia, lumpiang gulay grows from the Hokkien spring-roll tradition brought by Chinese settlers to the Philippines. The vegetable version is the everyday, economical form, leaning on whatever crisp vegetables are at hand and on togue, the bean sprout that is itself a Chinese-Filipino kitchen staple. It is a common meatless dish for fasting days and for stretching a meal.
A loud, crackling shell gives way to a steamy tangle of vegetables that stay just crisp inside, sweet from papaya or jicama and savory with garlic. The contrast of a shattering wrapper and juicy filling is the whole point, sharpened by a tart vinegar dip or a swipe of sweet-chili sauce.
The vegetables are julienned fine and salted briefly so they release water, then drained well; a wet filling steams the wrapper from inside and ruins the crunch. Rolled tight with the seam sealed by a dab of flour paste, the lumpia is fried hot enough that the wrapper crisps before the filling overcooks, leaving the vegetables tender-crisp.
Variations
Some cooks add ground pork or shrimp to make it lumpiang gulay with meat; others use cabbage or sayote in place of papaya. The dip varies by region — spiced vinegar, sweet-chili, or banana ketchup are all common.
On the Palate
Where Lumpiang Gulay sits in the Filipino flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
7 steps · 25 min
- 18 min
Julienne the green papaya or jicama, carrot and green beans fine and toss the papaya with a little salt to draw out water.
- 25 min
Saute garlic and onion, add the vegetables and bean sprouts, and stir-fry briefly until just crisp-tender.
- 34 min
Season lightly, then drain the filling well and let it cool.
Watch outDrain the filling really well and let it cool — a wet filling steams the wrapper from inside and kills the crunch.
- 44 min
Spoon filling onto each wrapper, fold in the sides, and roll tight, sealing the seam with flour paste.
- 55 min
Heat oil and deep-fry the rolls in batches until golden and crisp.
Watch outFry hot enough that the wrapper crisps before the vegetables overcook — you want tender-crisp inside, golden shell outside.
- 62 min
Drain on a rack so they stay crunchy.
- 71 min
Serve hot with spiced vinegar or sweet-chili sauce for dipping.
