AI-generated image
Shanghai ci fan tuan
Sticky rice rolls with fried dough
Cí fàn tuán (粢饭团): sticky-rice breakfast rolls wrapped round crisp fried dough and pickles
Ci fan tuan is one of the 'four heavenly kings' of Shanghai breakfast, along with fried dough sticks, soy milk and sesame flatbread. Vendors spread warm sticky rice on a cloth, lay a crisp youtiao and pickles in the middle and squeeze it into a fat roll to eat on the way to work. The savoury version often adds pork floss; this one uses pickled mustard and sesame, and there's a sweet sugar version too. Soak the rice overnight. Chef's tip: wrap the rice tightly in cling film and a tea towel, so the roll holds without being squashed flat.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice
- 10 ½ oz glutinous (sticky) ricesoaked in cold water overnight
- ¼ tsp salt
For the filling
- 2 Chinese fried dough sticks (youtiao)bought or frozen
- 1 ⅜ oz zha cai (pickled mustard tuber)finely chopped
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 spring onionfinely chopped
- 2 tbsp sugar (optional)for a sweet roll instead of the pickles
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Drain 10 ½ oz glutinous (sticky) rice and spread it on a damp cloth in a steamer. Steam over a high heat for 30 minutes, until each grain is translucent and sticky with no hard centre. Stir in ¼ tsp salt.
30 minStep 2: Meanwhile, bake 2 Chinese fried dough sticks (youtiao) at 400°F for 5 minutes, until crisp and they crackle when pressed. Cut each in half.
5 minStep 3: Lay a piece of cling film on a clean tea towel. Wet your hands and spread a quarter of the warm rice into a 15 x 12 cm rectangle about 1 cm thick.
Step 4: Sprinkle over a quarter of 1 ⅜ oz zha cai (pickled mustard tuber), 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and 1 spring onion (or 2 tbsp sugar and sesame for a sweet roll), then lay a piece of youtiao along the middle, folding it to fit.
Step 5: Lift the tea towel and roll the rice round the filling, squeezing firmly with the towel to seal it into a fat log. Common mistake: letting the rice cool first; cold sticky rice won't seal and the roll falls apart.
Step 6: Twist the cling film ends and eat warm, peeling back the film as you go. Repeat with the rest.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does shanghai ci fan tuan take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 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 toasted sesame seeds?
- Poppy seeds or finely chopped pumpkin seeds, same amount.
- What can I use instead of spring onion?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Sabudana khichdiSago with peanuts and potato
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
Indian
Doi chiraFlattened rice with curd
Nothing is cooked for doi chira, which is why it has been the breakfast of farmers and fishermen in Barisal for generations: flattened rice is rinsed, softened in thick, slightly sour curd and sweetened with jaggery or sugar, then mashed together with a ripe banana. The texture is soft and creamy with a little chew from the rice flakes, and the taste is cool, sweet and tangy. It is eaten on hot summer mornings, at village fairs and as part of the Pohela Boishakh spread, and it is a favourite of children and of anyone fasting who wants something gentle. The usual misstep is soaking the chira for too long, which turns it to paste; a quick rinse is all it needs before the curd does the rest. Chef's tip: use thick-cut chira, not the thin kind for frying, so the flakes hold their shape.
Bangladeshi
BsissaRoasted barley flour with olive oil
A tin of bsissa sits in many Tunisian kitchen cupboards, from Tunis flats to farmhouses in the south: a finely ground flour of roasted barley, roasted chickpeas and spices such as coriander, fennel and aniseed. In the morning a few spoonfuls are worked with olive oil and something sweet into a nutty, crumbly paste, or stirred with water into a thick drink, and it keeps you going until lunch. Travellers and pilgrims once carried it for the road. Roasting your own flour takes 15 minutes and makes a jar that lasts weeks. Sugar and dates keep it vegan; some families use honey. Chef's tip: roast the flours separately over a low heat and stir constantly; the moment they smell like toasted biscuits and turn light tan, tip them out of the pan.
Tunisian