Cheung fun (Cantonese steamed rice noodles) is one of my favorite breakfast dishes. You may find lots of sub-versions if you visit Guangdong province. With similar methods, people use different flour mixture and water ration to adjust the thickness, transparence and elasticity of Cheung fun.
The most secretarial part of a popular Cheung fun restaurant is the sauce. Although basically soy sauce, sugar, water and oyster sauce are used in the sauce, restaurants usually add their preferred ingredients to create unique flavors. For example, some of the local restaurants use fried garlic and starch to create a garlicky thick sauce while others may offer a cleaner one.
It is really not difficult to make Cheung fun at home, but it is quite hard to achieve the same thickness as offered in restaurants because of the equipments and skills. However homemade version yield great results too.
You can adjust the filling accordingly. For example, you can use egg and green leaf to create a vegetarian version or you can skip everything and make pure steamed rice rolls.
Batter
- 1 cup rice flour (110g)
- 1/3 cup corn starch (40g)
- 1/3 cup+1 tbsp. wheat starch (50g)
- 500ml water
- a tiny pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Filling
- 1/2 cup chopped shrimp (either dried shrimp or fresh shrimp)
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion
Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. rock sugar
- 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
Garnishing
- Chopped spring onion
- Toasted white sesame
- Sha Cha sauce or fried shallots
In a large bowl, mix rice flour, cornstarch, wheat starch, salt oil and water. Stir well to make sure the batter is well mixed. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Prepare a rectangle or square pan and a large wok that can hold the pan. Bring enough water to a boiling and then place your pan in. In a small bowl, pour a small amount of oil and then brush the steaming pan with a very very thin layer of oil and then pour the batter in. (I pour around 3 tablespoons of batter each time and it should spread to form a very thin layer at the bottom).
Make it even and then steam for 1 minute until the batter firms, then sprinkle shrimp and green onions. Re-steam for 2 minutes over high fire.
Transfer out, use a knife to separate the edges from the pan firstly and then roll it up to a 2-3cm wide tube. Serve with garnishes and sauce.
If you prefer, you can cut them into one bite size sections.
Cheung Fun (Steamed Rice Noodles)
Ingredients
Batter
- 1 cup rice flour , 110g
- 1/3 cup corn starch , 40g
- 50 g wheat starch
- 500 ml water
- a tiny pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
Filling
- 1/2 cup chopped shrimp , either dried shrimp or fresh shrimp
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion
Sauce
- 1/2 tbsp. oyster sauce
- 1/2 tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. rock sugar
- 1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
Garnishing
- Chopped spring onion
- Toasted white sesame
- Sha Cha sauce or fried shallots
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix rice flour, cornstarch, wheat starch, salt oil and water. Stir well to make sure the batter is well mixed. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Prepare a rectangle or square pan and a large wok that can hold the pan. Bring enough water to a boiling and then place your pan in.
- In a small bowl, pour a small amount of oil and then brush the steaming pan with a very very thin layer of oil and then pour the batter in. (I pour around 3 tablespoons of batter each time and it should spread to form a very thin layer at the bottom). Make it even and then steam for 1 minute until the batter firms, then sprinkle shrimp and green onions. Re-steam for 2 minutes over high fire.
- Transfer out, use a knife to separate the edges from the pan firstly and then roll it up to a 2-3cm wide tube. If you prefer, you can cut the tube into one-bite size sections.
To make the sauce
- In a saucepan, add all the ingredients expect sesame oil and heat to boil. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add sesame oil and ransfer out to cool down.
Serving
- Garnish toasted white sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Drizzle the sauce and top with sha cha sauce (totally optional, but I recommend you trying it.)
Notes
Nutrition
Wow..Looking so yummy and tasty i will definitely try it.
Can I use corn starch instead of wheat starch? Can I use any other alternatives for wheat starch and rock sugar?
You can try to use cornstarch only.
Rock sugar can be replaced by brown sugar or other sweet agents.
could I use potato starch instead of one of the other two starches, perhaps instead of the corn starch? many thanks
Hi Georgina,
Yes, potato starch can be used as a substitute for cornstarch.
can I use glutinous rice flour instead of rice flour to make cheung fun?
Paul,
Glutinous rice flour cannot be used to make cheung fun. It has totally different texture and taste.
Hi
I only have regular soy sauce.. doesn’t say light or dark. Could I still use or need both?
Thanks
You can use regular soy sauce and skip light and dark soy sauce.
IS 500 ML OF WATER ENOUGH? IT’S VERY THICK
The water amount might need adjusting based on the climate and different brand of the flour.
hi can i skip the wheat starch. just use rice flour and corn flour?
Yes, that should work too.
Instead of wheat starch can we substitute it for potato starch?
Yes, potato starch work fine too, although may taste slightly differently.
Hello,
Do you use raw shrimp or shrimp thats been cooked already?
Thank you
Use raw shrimp. It can be cooked very quickly in the steaming process.
How many people are 10 rolls enough for?
4 people.