Lumpiang Pabasa

The lumpia without meat and its crispy outer wrap.
Lumpiang Pabasa is a popular Holy Week dish in Rizal Province, Philippines made with stir fried vegetables like jicama, carrots, tofu, sweet potatoes, green beans and cabbage in a sauce made with peanut butter and annatto extract.

What we are featuring today is a dish in Rizal Province in the Philippines which is not well documented online, although it is quite popular specially within that region, there are no recipes published for this on the web, today I want to change that as I want everybody to know about this wonderful dish in the hope to keep this traditional dish alive and known by many generations to come. Lumpiang Pabasa is a dish usually prepared during the Lenten Season where it is given away and served as a thanksgiving for the readers that takes turns in chanting verses from the book known as the “Pasyon” (Passion), an early 16th-century epic poem narrating the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ where its verses are heavily based on the Holy Bible. These individuals perform this as an act of devotion made in fulfilment vow and/or thanksgiving, and that act they are doing is called “pabasa” or to read, hence the name of this dish.

Like all Lenten dishes this recipe for today does not contain meat hence they are popularly served during the Holy Week for the observance of abstinence from meat. Usually comprises of cubed vegetables where it is stir fried with small dried shrimps and finished off with a sauce made with peanut butter and annatto extract. A lot may say it is a Lumpiang Hubad (Naked Lumpia) but I think of it as a type of that lumpia as opposed to be that lumpia because of its main differences. First the vegetables used on this dish are sliced into cubed and not into strips like a typical Lumpiang Hubad. This dish is also served where the sauce is already mixed as opposed to be a condiment to the side. Finally, there are key differences on the ingredients used where there is no meat for Lumpiang Pabasa at all plus its main ingredients usually are either young green papaya, jicama and tofu.

I know it is not Holy Week yet, but I can’t wait for that date for me to post this wonderful recipe, so here you go.

Lumpiang Pabasa

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Raymund
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 35 mins
• Yield: 5 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Filipino

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Description

Lumpiang Pabasa is a popular Holy Week dish in Rizal Province, Philippines made with stir fried vegetables like jicama, carrots, tofu, sweet potatoes, green beans and cabbage in a sauce made with peanut butter and annatto extract.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups cubed jicama / singakamas
• 1 1/2 cups cubed carrots
• 1 1/2 cups deep fried cubed tofu
• 2 cups cubed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup chopped green beans (optional)
• 3 cups chopped cabbage
• 1/4 cup dried shrimps / hibe
• 2 tsp annatto powder / astusete, dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• fish sauce
• freshly ground black pepper

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Instructions

1. In a wok add oil then sauté garlic and onions.
2. Add the dried shrimps then continue to sauté until pungent in aroma.
3. Add the jicama, stir fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the carrots, stir fry for 2 minutes
5. Add the deep-fried tofu, stir fry for a minute.
6. Add the sweet potatoes, stir fry for 2 minutes.
7. Add the cabbage and green beans, stir fry for 2 minutes.
8. Pour the annatto powder mixture together with the vegetable stock and soy sauce. Bring to a boil then once boiling, add the peanut butter and mix it well. Let it simmer for 2 minutes or until vegetables are cooked.
9. Add the grated cheese, give it a mix then season with fish sauce and freshly ground black pepper.
10. Turn heat off then serve.

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