A few years back, we were lucky enough to attend the preview of a brand new land that was nearing it’s debut in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It was said to be this amazing, new, immersive area that was going to absolutely transport us to another world. Of course, we’re speaking of Pandora – The World of Avatar and they weren’t kidding. It was like something ripped right off of a movie screen. The setting, the attraction and, yes, even the food were like noting we’ve ever seen before. And we’ve only grown to love it more over the years. That goes especially for the unique food offerings. One of those is a guest favorite. The Pongu Lumpia from Pongu Pongu. It’s crispy, sweet, tangy and wonderful. We had to find a way to enjoy it more. So, here’s our Disney Dishes Copy-Cat Pongu Lumpia Recipe
Our Ingredients
The components for our Pongu Lumpia recipe are very simple. As a matter of fact, there are only five of them. Those are Pineapple, Cream Cheese, Sugar, Spring Roll Wrappers and Vegetable Oil for frying. It’s as easy as that.
Well, I may have jumped the gun a little bit. You may have a little difficulty tracking down the Fresh Pineapple depending upon where you are in the country. If you can find it, please use it. It’s definitely best for this dish. However, if you do have trouble tracking it down, you can use Canned Pineapple. I just suggest draining as much of the liquid as possible because that could have an effect on the frying of your Lumpia.
Let’s get rolling!
Creating our Pongu Lumpia
Hopefully you’ve been able to find the Fresh Pineapple. If so, the first thing you’ll want to do is trim away the skin and take out the core. Try to make sure you cut away enough so that no brown spots or seeds remain.
Whether you’re using Fresh or Canned versions of the fruit, your next step will be to dice the Pineapple into small cubes. About 1/4 inch in size should work just fine.
Now, on to the process of rolling our Lumpia. This is a good one to learn as it can be used for a lot of interesting, sweet and/or savory dishes. One of our favorites are the Carne Asada Spring Rolls we created several months ago.
To begin, take one of the Spring Roll Wrappers and place on a flat surface so that the points are heading directly to and away from you. Like in a diamond shape. Then spread a portion of the Softened Cream Cheese evenly across the middle, leaving about ¾ of an inch of space on each edge.
Next, spoon a couple of tablespoons worth of the Diced Pineapple evenly on the lower third of the Wrapper like in the photo above. Sprinkle the Pineapple evenly with about ½ teaspoon of Granulated Sugar.
Roll, Roll, Roll Your Lumpia
Now, bring the bottom corner of the Spring Roll Wrapper up. Pull it just over the Diced Pineapple like you see in the above photo.
Fold each side of the Spring Roll Wrapper toward the center.
Roll up from the bottom while trying to keep the filling as tight as possible. You want to try to make sure to limit the excess air in the Lumpia because that could cause the rolls to break when frying.
Once you have rolled the Wrapper nearly to the top, you’ll want to lightly wet the top edges with water. Then, continue rolling and it should, sort of, “self-seal”.
Place the rolled Lumpia on a baking sheet or pan lined with Parchment Paper. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least an hour.
Fry Time!
Once you’re ready to fry your Pongu Lumpia, you’ll want to add enough Vegetable Oil to a large pan so that it is at least 1 inch deep. Place on the stove over medium-high heat and bring it to 350°F.
Meanwhile, place about a half cup of Granulated Sugar in a shallow pan or bowl.
Remove the rolled Lumpia from the freezer and very carefully place them one at a time into the heated Vegetable Oil.
- I’m not kidding when a say you should place them in the oil carefully. It’s very easy to have them drop and splash extremely hot oil on your arm or hand. Please lower them gently and lay them away from you. That will help any splatter go toward the back of the pan and not on you.
Fry the Pongu Lumpia for about 3 minutes on each side until they are a deep golden brown. Then carefully remove them to a plate or pan lined with paper towels. Once they’ve cooled slightly, add to the pan or bowl that contains the Granulated Sugar and gently toss to coat.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Final Conclusion
This Disney Dishes Pongu Lumpia Recipe is lovely. It’s delightfully light and bright while, also, decadent at the same time. With each bite, you get the gentle crunch from the fried wrapper. Then there’s the fantastic sweet yet tart flavor from the pineapple. It’s all contrasted wonderfully by the creamy richness of the cream cheese.
It’s the perfect dessert for a summer day with friends. (Or when you’re dreaming just of Summer).
Make it for your Na’vi tribe this weekend and bring a little bit of Pandora to your home!
If you have any questions about this or any of our recipes, just hit us up below in the comments. You can also reach us through our Contact Us page or through email.
Disney Dishes Pongu Lumpia Recipe
Makes approximately 8 to 10 Lumpia
For the Pongu Lumpia
- 2 cups – Fresh Pineapple – Small Diced
- 8 to 10 – Spring Roll Wrappers
- 8 oz – Cream Cheese – Softened
- ¾ cup – Granulated Sugar – Divided
- Vegetable Oil – For Frying
Rolling the Pongu Lumpia
- Place the Spring Roll Wrappers on a flat surface in a “diamond shape” with the bottom pointed toward you
- Divide the Softened Cream Cheese into 8 to 10 portions and spread one of those evenly across the Spring Roll Wrapper; leaving at least ¾ inch of space on each edge
- Add approximately 2 tablespoons of the Diced Fresh Pineapple to the lower third of the Spring Roll Wrapper
- Sprinkle the top of the Pineapple with ½ teaspoon of the Granulated Sugar
- Bring the bottom point of the Spring Roll Wrapper over the top of the Pineapple
- Fold the two outside points of the Spring Roll Wrapper toward the center
- Begin to roll the Lumpia from the base toward the top while trying to keep it as tight around the filling as possible
- Once you’ve rolled it nearly to the top, moisten the edges of the top point with a little water
- Continue rolling to the top until the Lumpia is sealed
- Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Repeat with the remaining Spring Roll Wrappers
- Once all of the Lumpia have been rolled and are on the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour
Frying the Pongu Lumpia
- When ready to fry, place enough Vegetable Oil in a large pan to be at least 1 inch deep. Place on the oven over medium-high heat and bring it to 350°F
- While the Vegetable Oil is heating, add the remaining Granulated Sugar to a shallow pan or bowl
- Remove the Lumpia from the freezer and carefully place them into the heated Vegetable Oil
- Working in batches, fry each Lumpia for approximately 3 minutes on each side and they are a deep golden brown
- Remove to a plate or pan lined with paper towels
- Add to the plate of pan with the Granulated Sugar and gently toss to coat
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
If you enjoyed this dish, be sure to check out some of our other Disney Dishes Dessert recipes:
Warm Berry Buckle Recipe from the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
Red Velvet Mickey Whoopie Pies
Maple Creme Brûlée from Le Cellier
Croissant Doughnuts from Epcot
If you’re a Disney Fan, be sure to check out our Disney Podcast, as well.
