Rice Noodle Rolls – Cheung Fun. Steamed soft chewy rice noodle rolls with scallions, sesame seeds and soy sauce. A scrumptious dish that is commonly served for dim sum. Simple and filling, a tasty dish to make at home. It serves well for breakfast or lunch or as a side. Sometimes it’s filled with shrimp, scallions, eggs or beef. Popularly served with soy sauce, peanut butter, hoisin or all those sauces mixed into one.
I remember eating this often as a little girl. It was something we always ordered for dim sum. Sometimes we would order the plain version that you can dip in the three sauces I mentioned above, or we would order the shrimp version which was my favourite. But today I’ll be showing you the basics on how to make the plain version that is vegan.
Many different variations!
There are many versions of Cheung Fun and I’ve listed the different kinds below:
- Scallions
- Shrimp
- Dried shrimp
- Ground beef
- Egg
- Egg, ground beef and scallions
- Char Siu
- Plain
You can make this at home!
This rice noodle roll recipe is not too challenging to make as long as you follow the instructions. If you don’t follow them closely, it may be trickier than most recipes. But that’s why I’ve shared a bunch of tips below to show you how to make rice noodle roll at home.
Tips for making Cheung fun noodles
Below are tips on how to make a rice roll:
- Make sure to buy rice flour that is not the glutinous kind. This is so important!
- After making this, the best steamer to use is one that is totally levelled. I would recommend a bamboo steamer.
- Use a smooth clean pan with a lip or a tray. I share one that you can buy for this Cantonese style cheong fun. You need one with a lip, so the batter doesn’t spill out.
- Make sure your tray is sitting levelled on your bamboo steamer or wired rack. This will either make the rolling process easy or very difficult. Because if the batter pools in one area making that part of the roll thicker, you will have an uncooked roll that tastes very starchy, and it will make it more difficult to roll.
- Whisk the batter again after your pour it into your ½ measuring cup. This is important because the cornstarch tends to fall to the bottom of the batter.
- Pour the batter into the middle of the tray so it evenly distributes across your tray for an even texture.
- Cover and do not lift the cover to check. Allow this to cook for the full four minutes.
- In order not to BURN yourself, turn off the heat completely.
- Once the steam has reduced, then carefully use two silicone spatulas or a plastic dough cutter (this works the best) and begin to roll one end closest to you towards the end.
- Slice in half to make transferring the roll to a serving plate easier.
- Keep your Hong Kong style steamed rice roll warm by covering them until they are served.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Cheung fun rice noodle rolls:
What kind of Cheung fun flour do I use?
You must use rice flour that is not glutinous. It usually comes in a clear package with a red label.
Is Cheung fun healthy?
The roll itself is healthy as it’s not high in fat and it’s steamed. The part that may be “unhealthy” is the choice of sauces which you can control.
Can you microwave Cheung fun?
You can but the texture will not be as soft and chewy versus steaming it.
What kind of sauces can I pair with this Hong Kong steamed rice roll recipe?
- Soy sauce
- Sweet soy sauce (My favourite)
- Peanut butter
- Hoisin
- Equal parts soy sauce, hoisin and peanut butter mixed.
Other Chinese recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed my Cheung fun rolls then you may enjoy these other Chinese recipes:
CHOY SUM WITH SIZZLING OIL
CHINESE BEEF TOMATO STIR-FRY
SATAY BEEF SANDWICH
HONG KONG HAM EGG SANDWICH
SATAY BEEF NOODLE SOUP
CANTONESE CREAM CORN FISH
For this recipe
You will need the following Cheung fun ingredients:
- 1 cup rice flour, not the glutinous kind
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- Neutral oil
Cheung fun sauce:
- 3 tbsp soy sauce or sweet soy sauce
- 1 tbsp scallions
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
How to make Cheong Fun
In a large bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch and salt until well combined. Pour water into the dry ingredients and whisk well.
Next in a large wok with a wired rack or a large steamer, fill the wok with enough water for steaming. Place a 10 x 8-inch tray or small baking sheet with a lip on top. This rice noodle roll pan needs to be clean and a smooth surface ideally. Make sure the tray is 100% levelled or you’ll end up with an uneven rice roll that is thick in some areas and thin in other areas. Brush 1 tsp of neutral oil on the tray each time you pour the batter to create a new roll. Then bring the water to a boil for steaming over high heat.
Whisk the batter again and then pour ½ cup of it into the oiled tray. If your tray is not levelled you may need to tilt the wok so that the batter reaches all areas of the tray. Fill any holes but be cautious of the steam. It’s very hot!
Cover with a lid and allow this to cook for 4 minutes. Do not open it. You should see large bubbles form under the rice roll.
Next turn off the heat completely. Remove the lid. Use two spatulas or a dough cutter to lift the end of the roll closest to you and begin to roll towards the end. The roll should be 1 inch thick. Slice in the roll in half with a thin bladed spatula or dough cutter. Transfer to your serving plate. Repeat this process until you have no more batter left.
Garnish with sesame seeds, scallions and soy sauce. Enjoy your steamed rice rolls hot!
Give it a try!
Well, I hope you give my Rice Noodle Rolls Cheung Fun a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
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Christie
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Rice Noodle Rolls – Cheung Fun
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice flour not the glutinous kind
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- 4 tsp vegetable oil Neutral kind (I used avocado oil)
Seasoning:
- 3 tbsp regular soy sauce or sweet soy sauce
- 1 tbsp scallions
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the rice flour, cornstarch and salt until well combined. Pour water into the dry ingredients and whisk well.
- Next in a large wok with a wired rack or a large steamer, fill the wok with enough water for steaming. Place a 10 x 8-inch tray or small baking sheet with a lip on top. This rice noodle roll pan needs to be clean and a smooth surface ideally. Make sure the tray is 100% levelled or you’ll end up with an uneven rice roll that is thick in some areas and thin in other areas. Brush 1 tsp of neutral oil on the tray each time you pour the batter to create a new roll. Then bring the water to a boil for steaming over high heat.
- Whisk the batter again and then pour ½ cup of it into the oiled tray. If your tray is not levelled you may need to tilt the wok so that the batter reaches all areas of the tray. Fill any holes but be cautious of the steam. It’s very hot!
- Cover with a lid and allow this to cook for 4 minutes. Do not open it. You should see large bubbles form under the rice roll.
- Next turn off the heat completely. Remove the lid. Use two spatulas or a dough cutter to lift the end of the roll closest to you and begin to roll towards the end. The roll should be 1 inch thick. Slice in the roll in half with a thin bladed spatula or dough cutter. Transfer to your serving plate. Repeat this process until you have no more batter left.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, scallions and soy sauce. Enjoy your steamed rice rolls hot!
That was a great tip for what kind of flour to use. I really love both the texture and flavors of these fun little rolls!