Lumpia Basah ( Indonesian Spring Rolls )

Lumpia basah is one of indonesian snack . It’s yummy and light enough , i remember when i was small , on our way home from church every sunday , me and my mom always stopped by this shop , they sold snacks , one of our favourite was lumpia basah . How do i explain lumpia basah for westerners ? I guess it is almost like spring rolls , except , it’s healthier since it’s not deep fried . The wrapper, isn’t the same with spring rolls , where you have to deep fry to let it all cooked . It is similar to crepe . Only needed to use flour , egg and water to make the wrapper . In a way it’s almost like pancake batter too , except it is very thin so that you can swirl it around the non stick skillet to make the wrapper . The filling , i guess it is similar to spring rolls , i used bamboo shoot , mung beans , carrots , chicken breast . You can always make it as meaty as you want with shrimp etc , or as vegetarian as you can .. such as skip all the meat and just use vegies . Do however you want it . It is a little time consuming with the wrapper making , but i guess once in a while it’s all worth it .

In Indonesia , we usually serve this with bird eye chili with tao co ( maybe somekind of soy bean sauce ) , and green onions on the side . Well .. living overseas , i don’t always have access to bird eye chili or tao co either .. so i do just fine with just the green onions , with or without it .

My mom in heaven probably is smiling right now , her daughter who rejected to be taught how to cook a long time ago , now is making home made lumpia basah !! Even back then my mom never made lumpia basah on her own .. she always bought it LOL .. I miss you mom !!

To make the filling :

1 chicken breast ( i used boneless ) , diced and then chopped or you can always use ground turkey too

1 carrot , minced

1 green onion , chopped

1/4 cup of bean sprout ( mung beans )

1 small can of bamboo shoot ( if you have fresh , that’s even better )

3 shallots , chopped

2 cloves of garlic , minced

salt , pepper , water , soy sauce and sweet soy sauce ( if you don’t have sweet soy sauce , you can use sugar )

In a skillet , heat up the oil , saute shallot , garlic and green onion for a minute , then add the chicken , carrot , cook for few minutes , then add the bamboo shoot and bean sprouts , water , salt , pepper , soy sauce and sweet soy sauce , stir well , and then cook until all the water evaporates ( don’t put too much water , just enough to cover a little bit , we’re not making soup here ) . Add more salt , pepper if it’s needed . Set aside , let it cool , you can always make this a day ahead .

For the wrapper :

300 grams of all purpose flour

about 2 cups to 2 1/4 cups of water , add little more if it’s not thin enough

1 egg

pinch of salt

3 tbsp. of vegetable oil

In a large bowl , add the flour and salt , mix well . Make a well in the middle , add your egg , whisk it , starting with the center , and then add water a little bit at a time to make the batter . Add the vegetable oil , mix well . The batter should be very thin , not thick like pancake batter , but it should be thin enough for you to be able to swirl it around the skillet .

Heat up a small skillet , medium heat , and then add about 1/4 cup batter into the skillet , swirl right away , let it cook , you have to watch it , once it’s bubbling up , it should be done . About 1 minute , using spatula , turn it over , cook about30-45 seconds , and place it on the plate , transfer to parchment paper to cool and be ready to wrap them .

This is how your wrapper looks like from 1 side, smooth