Indonesian & Malaysian Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Lumpia Semarang
Crisp Indonesian spring rolls from Semarang stuffed with sweet-savory bamboo shoots, chicken, and shrimp, fried golden and served with a garlicky sauce.
Contains common allergens
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Good to know
- Crispy
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes
Instructions
4 steps- 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium-high heat and stir-fry the minced garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the ground chicken and chopped shrimp and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until no longer pink.
- 2
Add the julienned bamboo shoots, kecap manis, 1 teaspoon ground white pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt, then stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture is dry and well combined. Spread the filling on a tray and let it cool completely so the wrappers won't tear.
- 3
Place about 3 tablespoons of filling along the lower third of each wrapper, fold in the sides, roll up tightly, and seal the edge with beaten egg, repeating for all 12 rolls.
- 4
Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep pan to 350°F and fry the rolls in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning, until evenly golden and crisp. Drain on a rack and serve hot with a dipping sauce of crushed garlic, palm sugar, and a splash of vinegar.
Listahan Family Score™
57/100
Works for many families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving245
Calories
28 g
Protein
0 g
Carbs
15 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Lumpia Semarang is closely tied to Semarang, a port city in Central Java where Chinese-Indonesian cooking shaped a local spring roll style. The filling is known for bamboo shoots cooked down with savory-sweet seasoning, then wrapped and fried until the outside is crisp enough to contrast the soft, aromatic center.
Listahan note
This version keeps the filling focused on bamboo shoots, chicken, shrimp, garlic, and kecap manis, then asks you to dry it well before rolling. That cooling step matters because wet, hot filling is what makes wrappers split or fry up greasy.
Technique cues
- Cook the bamboo shoots until the pan looks nearly dry. A damp filling steams inside the wrapper and softens the crust.
- Cool the filling in a thin layer on a tray, not in a deep bowl. It releases steam faster and is easier to portion evenly.
- Fry in batches with room between the rolls. Crowding drops the oil temperature and gives you pale, oily wrappers instead of a crisp shell.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Make the garlic, palm sugar, and vinegar dipping sauce while the filling cools on the tray.
- Make-ahead
- Cook and cool the filling earlier in the day, then roll just before frying for the best wrapper texture.
- Leftover move
- Chop leftover fried rolls and serve them over warm rice with cucumber slices and extra dipping sauce.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Clear the rolling station before heating the frying oil, then drain rolls on a rack set over a tray to contain splatter.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
Spring roll wrappers
Crisp outer shell
Purpose: Thin wrappers fry into the shattering texture that makes Lumpia Semarang distinct from a soft roll.
Handling: Keep them covered while rolling so the edges do not dry out and crack.
Adaptation: Smaller wrappers work for appetizer-size rolls, but use less filling so they seal cleanly.
Bamboo shoots
Signature filling base
Purpose: They give the roll its Semarang-style crunch, mild sweetness, and slightly earthy aroma.
Handling: Julienne them evenly and stir-fry until excess moisture has cooked off.
Adaptation: Fresh bamboo shoots have a fuller texture, while canned bamboo shoots are more accessible and need thorough draining.
Ground chicken and shrimp
Savory protein filling
Purpose: Chicken gives the filling body, while chopped shrimp adds a sweet seafood note that works well with kecap manis.
Handling: Cook until the pieces are no longer pink before adding the bamboo shoots so the filling stays evenly seasoned.
Adaptation: Use all ground chicken for a simpler version; the filling will be milder and less briny.
Kecap manis
Sweet soy seasoning
Purpose: It brings the dark color, sweetness, and savory depth that balance the bamboo shoots and garlic.
Handling: Stir it in after the proteins are cooked so it coats the filling instead of scorching on the bare pan.
Adaptation: A small mix of soy sauce and palm sugar can stand in, though it will be thinner and less glossy.
Garlic
Aromatic backbone
Purpose: Garlic seasons both the filling and the dipping sauce, tying the fried roll to the sharp-sweet sauce on the side.
Handling: Mince it finely and stir-fry briefly, stopping before it browns hard.
Adaptation: Crushed garlic gives the dipping sauce a stronger bite; finely minced garlic blends more evenly into the filling.
Egg
Wrapper seal
Purpose: Beaten egg helps the final edge stick so the rolls stay closed in hot oil.
Handling: Brush only the last edge, then press the seam down firmly before frying.
Adaptation: A flour-and-water paste can seal the wrappers with a slightly less glossy seam.
Technique notes
- Use about 3 tablespoons of filling per 8-inch wrapper; overfilling makes the roll bulge and leak at the seams.
- Roll tightly enough to remove air pockets, but do not pull so hard that the wrapper tears around the bamboo shoots.
- Let the oil return to 350°F between batches so each batch browns at the same pace.
Ingredient swaps
- Wrapper size shift
- Use smaller wrappers for party portions and reduce the filling to 1 to 2 tablespoons per roll.
- All-chicken path
- Use 1 pound ground chicken instead of the chicken-shrimp mix for a quieter, less seafood-forward filling.
- Sauce balance
- Add a little more vinegar if the palm sugar makes the dipping sauce too sweet, or a little more sugar if it tastes too sharp.
- Lighter fry setup
- Use a narrow, deep pan so 2 inches of oil gives enough depth without needing a very large volume.
Serve alongside
- Nasi putih
- Acar timun
- Gado-gado
- Sambal goreng kentang
- Es teh manis
- Jeruk nipis soda
- Cold jasmine tea
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate cooked rolls in a shallow container once cooled, keeping any dipping sauce separate.
- Reheat on a rack in a hot oven or air fryer until the wrapper crisps again; the microwave will soften the shell.
- Freeze rolled, unfried lumpia in a single layer, then fry from frozen with a little extra time.
Equipment
- Wok or wide skillet
- Rimmed tray for cooling filling
- Deep heavy pan
- Wire rack set over a sheet pan
Make this household-aware
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Plan it in Listahan
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