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Vegetable cheung fun
Silky Cantonese steamed rice rolls with mushroom and greens, in sweet soy
Cheung fun are the slippery rice-noodle rolls of Guangdong. In Guangzhou you see them steamed to order on cloth-lined trays at breakfast stalls, and at dim sum they arrive in a pool of sweet soy. This home version uses a flat tray in a wok, and fills the rolls with shiitake, Chinese chives and beansprouts. Chef's tip: stir the batter every time before you pour; the starch sinks in seconds, and an unstirred batter gives a thin, torn sheet.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the batter
For the filling
For the sweet soy
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk 3 ½ oz rice flour (not glutinous), ⅔ oz wheat starch or tapioca starch, ½ oz cornflour, 1 ½ cups cold water and 1 tbsp vegetable oil into a thin, smooth batter like single cream. Leave 10 minutes.
Step 2: Stir-fry 3 ½ oz fresh shiitake mushrooms in 1 tbsp vegetable oil over a high heat for 2 minutes, add 3 ½ oz beansprouts, 1 ⅜ oz Chinese chives or spring onions and ¼ tsp salt and toss for 30 seconds, just until wilted. Set aside.
3 minStep 3: Simmer 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 ½ tbsp sugar and 3 tbsp hot water for 1 minute until the sugar dissolves, then add ½ tsp toasted sesame oil.
Step 4: Set a rack in a wok with 4 cm of water and bring to a strong boil. Oil a flat metal tray (about 20 x 25 cm) that fits inside.
Step 5: Stir the batter, pour in just enough to coat the tray thinly (about 4 tbsp) and scatter a little filling over it. Cover and steam on a high heat for 2 minutes, until the sheet bubbles up and turns translucent.
2 minStep 6: Lift out the tray, let it stand for 30 seconds, then use a scraper to roll the sheet up from one end. Common mistake: rolling it straight away when it's still too soft; it tears. Repeat with the rest, re-oiling the tray each time.
15 minStep 7: Cut the rolls into pieces, pour over the warm sweet soy and eat hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetable cheung fun take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of cornflour?
- Arrowroot or potato starch, same amount.
- What can I use instead of fresh shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
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