Appetizers

      Tasty Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls (Lumpiang Shanghai)

      2 tablespoons oil

      2 tablespoons finely minced garlic

      1½ cup diced onions

      1 lb (450 g) ground pork

      6 oz (180 g) fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined and diced

      ¼ cup chopped scallions

      ½ cup julienned jicama

      1 medium carrot, grated

      1¼ teaspoon salt, adding extra to taste

      ¼ teaspoon pepper, adding extra to taste

      1 egg

      1-2 tablespoons water

      20 spring roll wrappers

      3 cups (750 ml) oil for deep-frying

      Sweet and Sour Sauce

      ¼ cup (50 g) sugar

      ¼ teaspoon salt

      2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

      ¼ cup (60 ml) vinegar

      1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup (125 ml) water

      1 To make the Sweet and Sour Sauce, blend the sugar, salt, tomato ketchup and vinegar in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Turn off heat and set aside.

      2 Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the garlic and onions. Add pork and and sauté until lightly browned. Add the shrimp, scallions, jicama and carrot and sauté until pork is cooked through, stirring to mix well. Season with the salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

      3 Combine egg and water in a small bowl. Cut each spring roll wrapper in half. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the ground pork and shrimp mixture onto each wrapper. Moisten the edges of each wrapper with the egg mixture. Roll each wrapper, folding in the ends, then seal the edges.

      4 Heat half of the oil in a frying pan over high heat until hot, then reduce the heat. Fry the rolls in batches in the hot oil until browned, adding more oil as needed. Serve hot with the Sweet and Sour Sauce.

      Makes 40 spring rolls

      Preparation time: 30 mins

      Cooking time: 40 mins

      Papaya Relish (Papaya Achara)