Fresh Lumpia with Ubod

This Filipino lumpia recipe calls for ubod, the tender hearts of coconut palm, and is eaten fresh instead of fried. Serve with my recipe for fresh lumpia sauce (see Footnote).

• Preparation Time: 50 mins
• Cooking Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 92 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ head cabbage, shredded
• ⅓ cup diced ham
• ⅔ cup chickpeas, drained
• 25 lumpia wrappers
• 2 cups shrimp - deveined, cut into strips, heads reserved
• 1 chorizo de bilbao (spicy Spanish semi-cured sausage), cut into strips
• 1 (18.4 ounce) lean pork tenderloin, diced
• 1 potato, cut into strips
• 2 stalks celery, cut crosswise into slices
• 1 carrot, cut into strips
• 1 ubod (heart of palm), cut into strips
• 25 leaves lettuce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Pound shrimp heads in a mortar until about 1/2 cup juice is released. Drain juice and reserve.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until slightly brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in ham and chorizo; cook until juices release, about 2 minutes. Add pork; cook and stir until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Place shrimp into the skillet; cook until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved shrimp juice and mix thoroughly. Add soy sauce and sugar; cook and stir until combined, about 2 minutes more. Add cabbage, potato, chickpeas, celery, carrot, and ubod. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Let filling cool until safe to handle, at least 10 minutes.

Step 4

Lay a lettuce leaf on a lumpia wrapper. Place about 2 tablespoons of the filling over the center of the lettuce. Fold 1 end of the wrapper over the filling to secure the lower end; roll wrapper over to cover. Repeat with remaining lettuce, wrappers, and filling.