In April, 2003, I posted a tuna lumpia (spring rolls) recipe using cooked fresh tuna. That recipe was updated (with better photos) in 2011.
Although I will always prefer fresh over canned, there are days when one has to survive on canned goods. At least, partially. Like when it’s been raining for over a week and the downpour precludes trips to the market or grocery. That’s what life has been these past several days. Rain, rain, rain. I love that it’s cool but food shopping can be a hassle. Canned tuna sounds more practical.
Canned tuna… what kind? We only buy chunks or solid in brine or water. If unavailable, we buy tuna chunks or solid in oil. Always unflavored. And we don’t buy tuna flakes because there is much less fish inside the can. If you ask if me if flavored canned tuna will work for this recipe, I’ll advise you to try it yourself and let us know how it turns out.
Here’s how to make spring rolls with canned tuna filling.
First, drain the tuna. Let every drop of liquid drip off. Wet filling means soggy fried spring rolls. So, before you do anything else, drain the tuna.
To add texture to the filling, I included potatoes and carrots. They were fried before they were mixed with the tuna. You can also boil or steam them.
Why precook? They won’t get cooked through if the only cooking they’ll get is after they have been stuffed inside the spring roll wrappers. The cooking time is too short. So, precook the potatoes and carrots.
When the potatoes and carrots have cooled, and the tuna has drained fully, mix together all the ingredients for the filling.
Then, wrap your spring rolls. Click here for a step-by-step guide.
Fry the spring rolls in batches until lightly browned and crisp.
Then enjoy your tasty tuna spring rolls with your favorite dipping sauce. I like sweet chili sauce.
Tuna lumpia (spring rolls)
Print PinIngredients
- 1 can tuna chunks or solid in brine
- 1 medium potato
- 1 medium carrot
- 2 cups vegetable cooking oil for frying
- bunch scallions
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 tspteaspoon reshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 1 egg beaten
- 12 six-inch pieces spring roll wrappers separated
Instructions
- Open the can of tuna and drain off the liquid.
- Heat the cooking oil in a wok or frying pan. Cut the potato and carrot into 1/4-inch cubes. Fry the potato and carrot cubes until lightly crisp. Scoop out and drain on a stack of kitchen paper.
- In a bowl, put the drained tuna, potato, carrot, scallions, chili flakes, salt, pepper and half of the beaten egg. Mix.
- Place about a heaping tablespoonful of filling at the center of a wrapper and roll (see step-by-step guide on wrapping spring rolls), sealing the edges with the remaining half of the beaten egg.
- Reheat the oil until you see fine wisps of smoke above the surface. Fry the spring rolls until golden, in batches if necessary so as not to overcrowd the pan and make the temperature drop which will make your spring rolls greasy and soggy.
- Serve the spring rolls immediately. You may cut them into halves, if you wish. You can serve them with any dipping sauce that you like. I recommend sweet chili sauce.
Nasi Ayam Panggang (Roast Chicken Rice)
thesa
02/28/2006 at 7:03 amhi. just wondering if you can get away with canned tuna instead. im based in regional australia and fresh fish is dearly priced. thanks!
Connie
02/28/2006 at 5:29 pmHi thesa! Canned tuna will do just fine. Just remember to drain them well. :)
Moe Laulu
06/07/2006 at 1:30 amI’m a student just starting to learn about the tools
creating interactive websites.
Please send me some information how you create your websites. I’m just following my text book, my instructor needs to see how fast we can get responded mail.
Thanks,
Moe
Connie
06/07/2006 at 1:32 amMoe, “Please send me some information how you create your websites.”
Try Google.
melisa
12/11/2007 at 1:33 amHello po… I use canned tuna po, ung spicy nila. It taste good nga po talaga. i’m going to try using fresh tuna. My mom uses galunggong most of the time, kaya lang tamad ako maghimay… hehe… Thanks po for this great recipe…
irene
03/05/2008 at 4:35 pmhi! what else did you add with tuna? thanks
Connie
03/05/2008 at 6:44 pmthat’s in the list of ingredients, irene.
beng
03/23/2008 at 10:41 pmwhen i make lumpiang shanghai i always put kinchay. it makes a lot of differeence in taste. i think adding kinchay here would be great too, esp to mask the fishy taste.
grazielle
04/01/2008 at 6:43 pmi got caught by your website from my father.please tell me where to get the ingredients for this recipe.im at lost.thanks
grazielle
04/01/2008 at 6:49 pmowwwww i got it.please disregard my comments.tnx ms connie
beth sanchez
02/06/2009 at 7:43 pmhi connie!!! this is really a healthful recipe because it uses tuna that’s really rich in omega fatty acids.one time,i planned on making rellenong bangus.after sauteing d bangus meat and d other recados,i thought of just making it into another version of spring rolls.
d result?? sarap siyempre!!! i got tired of stuffing d filling and sewing d bangus skin,eh!!hahaha
for d dips,i made two- made sweet n sour sauce and a sweet n spicy vinegar dip.
but i will try this recipe,connie…thanks!!!!!
ROXEE
02/22/2011 at 8:14 pmconnie, we use mackerel instead of canned tuna?
Connie
02/22/2011 at 9:14 pmThe flesh might be too soft but you can try.
jinky
02/23/2011 at 8:49 amHi Ms. Connie,
Nawala yata yung print button. Or maybe the error is with my pc. Try ko muna ang ibang entry..
jinky
02/23/2011 at 9:18 amHi Ms. Connie,
Sorry, I found it already! :) I was used in seeing it at the top of the entry, nasa baba na pala :)
Pls. disregard my previous comment na lang Ms. Connie, thanks!!
Jhul
02/23/2011 at 2:32 pmHi Ms. Connie,
Can I omit the chili flakes and use spicy canned tuna instead?
Thanks :)
Connie
02/24/2011 at 10:38 amYou can try and let us know how it turns out. :)
Jhul
02/24/2011 at 3:28 pmOk Ms. Connie,I will.
Thanks.. :)
desireeanne
03/04/2011 at 10:36 amMs Connie….what would make a great combination with the tuna lumpia? Thanks!
Connie
03/04/2011 at 6:58 pmA great soup.
Marie
11/18/2011 at 1:01 pmThanks. Now I don’t have to buy those expensive Tuna Lumpia.
fred
11/18/2011 at 3:27 pmConnie, mix it with potato? Why potato? How bout sweet potato/yam uncooked carrot, spring onion then fry?
Connie Veneracion
11/18/2011 at 3:29 pmBecause potato tastes neutral. Tuna has a delicate flavor that I wanted preserved.
fred
11/20/2011 at 1:48 amsalamat po.
lucy
06/06/2012 at 3:26 pmHi Connie,
Yong Salmon ba is different from Tuna? .. sensya na di kasi ako sure eh.. am planning to make this for my son´s b-day tom.
Thanks.
emyM
06/21/2012 at 2:23 pmConnie,this was my first time to cook tuna rolls. Yes, I just used whatever’s in the pantry and fridge.
Roasted bellpepper from a jar,green onions and egg.Next time I’ll add tofu.Very goooood!
Thanks.
Connie Veneracion
06/21/2012 at 3:04 pmGo glad you liked it. :D
eman
10/30/2012 at 9:45 pmThank you so much Ma’am Connie for your recipe. Dito po ako sa moscow ngaun and e2 kakatapos lang kumain ng mga employer ko and they like it very much. They said in Russian “otchin kusna” very tasty in english and they ask me to cook it much often na po hahaha. I used the recipe of your shanghai wrapper too kaso medyo kinulang dahil i made some mistakes sa paglagay sa pot but I made around 12 sheets of that mixture in the end hehehe. I used parsley instead of onion, okay lang naman po un diba? More power po sa inyo at ingat po.
Connie Veneracion
10/30/2012 at 9:48 pmParsley — yes! You might want to try cilantro next time. :)
alexandria
08/15/2016 at 1:11 amhello madam! I’m a student and currently having a project of cost&benefit analysis. Yung napili ko po is establishing a business on making of tuna lumpia. Pupwede po bang directly fresh tuna ang gamitin instead of canned? Hindi po ba maiiba ang lasa?
Connie Veneracion
08/15/2016 at 4:39 amHello, Alexandria.
Since cost & benefit analysis ang project mo, di ba mas tama na IKAW MISMO ang sumubok na gamitin both canned and fresh para malaman mo ang difference nila as lumpia filling?