Mango Kani Lumpia

You’ve probably had mango kani salads and kani fresh spring rolls before. But never did it occur to me to make mango kani lumpia.

Though we eat mostly vegetables and fruits throughout the week, once in a while we like to indulge. One day Rocel ordered Mango Crabstick Rolls from a shop in Dapitan, an area known for its market of all sorts of wares, particularly for house decor and unique items and trinkets. It turns out a shop, called South View Food Concepts, has some pretty good salmon sashimi too, and a hidden gem in said mango crabstick rolls.

These are deep fried breaded rolls, stuffed with a thick strip of imitation crab aka kani, sandwiched between two slices of sweet, ripe mango, blanketed in mayonnaise.

Kani salads are an American export despite the Japanese name for imitation crab. These salads are made of, you guessed it, sliced kani and mangoes, among other salad ingredients like carrot, lettuce, and seaweed.

But it wasn’t until I tried that first roll did I cross another set of gastronomic borders, flying through Japan, the United States, and finally, in Dapitan, Quezon City, Pilipinas.

The Dapitan recipe still eludes me, and after making my own version with lumpia wrappers, my curiosity and respect for the Dapitan recipe had only grown. Instead of deep frying, we used our new air fryer, gifted to us by Rocel’s previous colleagues (salamat po sa sponsor).

I must say, despite the lower oil content and sans the crispy breading of the Dapitan mango crabstick rolls, you can’t really go wrong with kani, mango, and mayonnaise packed inside a fried lumpia roll, air fried or otherwise.

What you need (and how to veganize it)

All you need are lumpia wrappers, mango, mayonnaise and kani. This can be easily veganized. Vegan mayo can be found at Shopee locally, or for folks abroad it can be found at your supermarket. Or you can make your own vegan mayo. Instead of kani, you can tweak the recipe a bit with strips of tofu or tokwa, and add nori or seaweed to give it that touch of the sea. Please bear in mind that I have yet to try this vegan version, but if you do before I do, feel free and comment to let me know how it can be improved.

My recipe below is what I make for two.

Ingredients

• 12 lumpia wrappers (around 5 inches wide should suffice)
• 1 small or medium, very ripe mango.
• 6 pieces of kani or imitation crab. You can split each kani piece in two.
• Mayonnaise. Japanese mayo like Kewpie is preferred, but any mayo will do. I have a feeling the Dapitan recipe uses Lady’s Choice mayonnaise.
• Enough vegetable oil for deep frying, or to spray on the lumpia in the air fryer.

Vegan ingredients (I have yet to try this)

• 12 lumpia wrappers (around 5 inches wide should suffice)
• 1 small or medium, very ripe mango.
• 1 block of firm tofu or tokwa, sliced into thick strips.
• 1 sheet of nori, cut into small strips.
• Vegan mayo, buy on Shopee or make your own.
• Enough vegetable oil for deep frying, or to spray on the lumpia in the air fryer.

Instructions

1. Warm up your airfryer or pot of oil/deep fryer.
2. Slice and prepare your mango slices and kani, which should more or less be equal in size. Just make sure 2 mango slices and 1 kani slice will fit in your lumpia.
3. Lay one lumpia wrapper flat in front of you. Slather mayo on half the wrapper. 
4. Place two mango slices with one kani slice in-between on the wrapper. Roll, while wetting the end of the wrapper with water or eggwash. Seal with love.
5. Place the finished roll aside and repeat until you’ve wrapped all the ingredients.
6. Place in your fryer (airfryer or pot of oil). If using an airfryer feel free to spray or apply a bit of oil on top. 
7. Remove when brown. Let cool and enjoy!

Vegan Instructions

1. Warm up your airfryer or pot of oil/deep fryer.
2. Slice and prepare your mango slices and tofu, which should more or less be equal in size. Just make sure 2 mango slices and 1 tofu slice will fit in your lumpia. Optional: fry or roast your tokwa strips first for added texture.
3. Lay one lumpia wrapper flat in front of you. Slather vegan mayo on half the wrapper. 
4. Place two mango slices with one tofu slice in-between on the wrapper. Add as much nori strips as you like. Roll, while wetting the end of the wrapper with water. Seal with love.
5. Place the finished roll aside and repeat until you’ve wrapped all the ingredients.
6. Place in your fryer (airfryer or pot of oil). If using an airfryer feel free to spray or apply a bit of oil on top. 
7. Remove when brown. Let cool and enjoy!