Imbento Time: Nori lumpia

A friend asked me what the critic thinks of my cooking. 

Imbento daw, I said. 

That sounds scary.

I don't mind that he calls the stuff I make (and eat) 'imbento food' because, well, it's true.  (I went through my blog posts recently and confirmed his observation.)  I guess the reason I like making up new dishes is because I know I'm going to spend quite an amount of physical and mental energy into cooking so I figured I might as well have fun doing it, too.

And last night, not only did I enjoy preparing my dinner but I also had a pleasurable time eating it.  Nakachamba na naman ako!  I'm planning to make the dish again for our weekend lunch so C will understand that imbento food can be delicious.

Here's how to make Nori Lumpia:

1.  Take out the tools: cutting board, knife, two plates, frying pan, wooden cooking spoon, kettle, small bowl, and a strainer.

2.  Gather the ingredients*: a small carrot, a small orange,  a small onion, two cloves of garlic, a small block of tofu, a tablespoon of coconut oil, 1.6 oz. vermicelli (sotanghon), chili soybean paste, two nori sheets, and salt and pepper.

3.  Julienne carrot. Peel orange and slice segments into piso-sized pieces.  Finely chop onion and garlic.  Set cut vegetables on plate.

4.   Place the block of tofu in the palm of your hand and squeeze it until it's mashed.  Leave it on the cutting board.

5.  Set frying pan on stove, medium flame.  Heat oil.  Brown garlic then throw in chopped onion until the pieces become translucent.  Add the tofu.  Cook for five minutes or until light brown.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set cooked tofu on plate.

6.  Fill the kettle with enough water for a small bowl and set on stove, high flame.  Then pour boiling water over the vermicelli in a small bowl.  Leave for 3-5 minutes then strain noodles.

7.  Reheat frying pan on medium flame then toss in the noodles and a tablespoon of chili soybean paste.  Mix evenly.  Kill stove.

8.  On a nori sheet, layer noodles, tofu, carrot strips, and chopped orange, then roll and fold nori into a lumpia log.  Repeat.

9.  Eat!

Last Day 17

Take some fiery hot noodles...

...and salty-spicy tofu, crispy carrots and sweet-tangy orange...

...TA-DAHH!

_____

*good for one person

Déjà vu lumpia and monggo

When I love something, I want to have it all the time.  Like this all-vegetable MSG-free lumpia from this little kiosk in SM Cubao.  Yeah, this is not my first time.

Last Day 5

Wholesome street food to go!

Love can also be spelled as m-o-n-g-g-o.  But I jazzed this one up with a native ampalaya (the small ones used in pinakbet), chopped and added to the dish at the last minute to keep the nutrients intact.  Plus, when it comes to veggies, the smaller, the bitter.

Last Day 6

I like different colors on my plate, palette and palate.

* * *

And because I am a bagoong fan, sometimes an addict, let me rave about my new favorite.  This particular kind is made of shrimp fry.  It goes well with mangoes, but really for me, bagoong is great with anything.  (I ate it with the monggo!)

I love getting pasalubong in food form.