Kuchay's garlicky bite pairs perfectly with ground pork in this lumpia recipe inspired by classic Chinese dumplings.
Kuchay, or Chinese chives, are a staple in Chinese and Southeast Asian cooking — longer and flatter than regular chives, with a garlicky bite that mellows and sweetens once cooked. Pork and kuchay is a classic Chinese dumpling filling, and honestly, that's exactly what this is. The craving hit, but the thought of pleating dumplings did not. Lumpia wrappers to the rescue — same filling, way less commitment.
Before mixing the filling, salt the kuchay and squeeze out the moisture. Skip this and all that water releases during frying, steaming the filling from the inside and making the wrapper go limp.
Once you're mixing, knead until the filling turns slightly sticky and holds together when pressed — that's the pork proteins binding, which keeps everything from falling apart when you bite in. No egg needed.
Fry in batches. Crowding the pot drops the oil temperature and you end up with oil-logged lumpia instead of crispy ones, which is sad. These also freeze really well before frying — freeze them on a tray first until solid, then transfer to a bag. Fry straight from frozen, just add a minute or two to the cook time.
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