This Clever Trick Is a Mess-Free Way to Seal Lumpia
Lumpia is one of my favorite Filipino foods. It has a crispy, shatteringly thin wrapper and irresistible fillings — and it’s just plain fun to eat. Although it’s often compared to an egg roll, lumpia is in a category all its own. If you’ve never tried lumpia, I highly recommend taking a quick break from this article to make a batch at home. Amelia Rampe, Kitchn’s senior recipe editor, is a lumpia expert, and has some great recipes on our site — including this one, which is reminiscent of jalapeño poppers.
Okay, now that we’re all buckled into our seats on the lumpia train, we’ve got to talk about this Reel from Joy Huang, who shares recipes and cooking inspiration on Instagram with the name @joyosity. The video shows Joy constructing a lumpia wrapper with a savory filling, then folding it up and sealing it with … the nubby end of a banana! Huang noted that she learned this trick from Lara Lee’s cookbook, Coconut & Sambal.
Like many pastries that rely on a seal to hold all of the goodness inside, lumpia is often sealed with an egg wash. This works great to seal the dough, but it can be messy to work with. Lee’s and Huang’s trick, however, skips the stickiness. In the Reel, Huang uses the end of a banana, cut to about 1-inch. Keeping the peel on the fruit ensures that your fingers stay clean.
Does this work? Judging from the gorgeous finished product shot and the fan reaction, I’m going with YES! Huang’s cooked lumpia are golden with a crackly crust, and not a burst bit in sight. The comments on the video are encouraging, too. “Like a banana glue stick!” said one. “Banana for the win,” wrote another.
Huang’s Reel has another top tip for lumpia fans. Once the batch has been fried, you can freeze extras and leftovers. When you’re ready for a snack, just pop them in the air fryer to reheat — no need to thaw. I love that Huang and Lee are sharing ways to make this dish easier to make; hopefully, it will create some new lumpia fans.
Have you tried either of these techniques? And, just as important: Do you have any homemade lumpia secrets? Spill ‘em in the comments below.