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chee cheong fun in a small white dish on a table.
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5 from 2 votes

Chee Cheong Fun (Steamed Rice Noodle Dim Sum Rolls)

An easy-to-follow method to make perfect Chee Cheong Fun! Steamed, filled with crispy fried dough & served with sweetened soy sauce and fried shallots. This recipe is going to upgrade the living daylights out of your home made dim sum!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time28 minutes
Total Time48 minutes
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 12
Calories: 119kcal
Author: Adam Sobel
Cost: $11

Equipment

Ingredients

Batter:

Sweetened Soy Sauce:

To serve:

Instructions

Mix the batter:

  • In a mixing bowl, combine white rice flour, wheat starch, tapioca starch, salt, and sugar. Mix well to combine.
  • Add canola or vegetable oil to the dry ingredients, followed by water. Stir until a smooth batter is formed.
  • Let the batter rest for about 15-20 minutes to allow the starches to hydrate and thicken the mixture.

Make the sweetened soy sauce:

  • In a small saucepan, combine tamari, coconut sugar, sesame oil, and vegan oyster sauce. Stir well to combine.
  • Place the saucepan over low heat and gently warm the sauce, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside.

To form and serve:

  • Heat canola or vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Thinly slice the shallots and toss them in tapioca starch.  Add the thinly sliced shallots to the hot oil and sauté, stirring until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside on a paper lined plate to wick off extra oil.
  • In the same pan, pan-fry the Youtiao until crispy on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • Prepare a steamer over medium heat and lightly grease a pan that fits inside of the steaming tray to prevent sticking.
  • Give the rested batter a good stir with a whisk, and pour a thin layer of batter onto the steaming tray, spreading it evenly to form a thin sheet (a few millimeters deep). If you have a steamer with multiple tiers, and extra pans, make as many of these as you can at the same time. *A little hack you can use here if you are having trouble removing the steamed noodles from the pan is to line the pan with parchment paper which extends up two sides of the pan over the hight of the batter.  You can use the paper to help remove the steamed noodle from the pan.  Just replace it with new parchment each time so it doesn't start getting soggy if you are steaming in batches.
  • Steam the batter over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until it becomes translucent and pliable. Keep in mind that if you are cooking multiple trays at a time, the different tiers will take different amounts of time to cook based on their distance from the steam.
  • Using a dough scraper, or rubber spatula, carefully remove the steamed batter from the steamer and place it on a clean work surface.
  • Place one Youtiao stick on the edge of the steamed batter, trimming off any fried dough that sticks out of the other side. Roll up the steamed noodle sheet tightly to form a rice noodle roll. Repeat with the remaining batter and Youtiao sticks.
  • Cut the rice noodle rolls into smaller pieces, about 2-3 inches in length.
  • Serve the steamed rice rolls hot, drizzled with the sweetened soy sauce, and topped with crispy shallots and minced chives or thinly sliced scallions. Optionally garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Notes

Steaming tip:

It's important to keep a close eye on the steaming process and avoid over-steaming. The exact steaming time may vary depending on the thickness of the rice noodle rolls and the type of steamer you're using. Generally, Chee Cheong Fun is steamed for about 3-5 minutes until the noodle sheet is cooked and becomes translucent.
To prevent over-cooking, you can periodically check the doneness of the steamed rice noodle sheet by gently touching it with a chopstick or a fork. It should feel firm but pliable, and not too sticky or mushy. If you notice that the noodle sheet is becoming too soft or sticky, reduce the steaming time or adjust the heat accordingly to avoid overcooking.

Rolling technique matters.

Rolling the Chee Cheong Fun can be a bit tricky, especially for beginners. Use a rubber spatula or a thin bamboo steamer sheet to gently lift and roll the cooked rice noodle sheet while it's still warm and pliable. Avoid overfilling the rice noodle rolls, as it can cause them to tear or burst. Practice your rolling technique to achieve smooth and tightly rolled rice noodle rolls.

Use a bamboo steamer.

The porous material of a bamboo steamer allows a little moisture to escape, and the structure of the lid prevents drops of water from dripping onto (and ruining) the noddles as they steam.  If you don't have a bamboo steamer, place a dry dish towel across the top tier of your steamer under the lid.

Youtaio cooks quickly!

You only need to fry the youtaio for a short time on each side to crisp it up. Don't let it burn.

Nutrition

Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 270mg | Potassium: 40mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 0.3IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.2mg