HOMEMADE RICE NOODLES, TWO WAYS
For today’s recipe, we’d like to introduce you to cheung fun, or homemade rice noodles. They can be employed in various ways, two of which we will discuss in this article.
The first is a well-known piece. Rice noodle rolls with dried shrimp and scallions. In the second dish, you’ll find the popular Chinese fried dough rice noodle roll (zha leung).
In contrast to the rice noodles stuffed with shrimp or meat that you may already know, these are some of my favorite dim sum items! Those will have to wait till a later post.
When it comes to making rice noodles, you’re better off buying them pre-made from an Asian grocery store. If not, here’s how to make them at home using this recipe.
For me, the dried shrimp and scallion rice noodle rolls evoke fond recollections of my childhood when I first tried them. I used to unroll them, sprinkle some sauce on them, and then re-roll them back into a cigar.
You may be able to get pre-made dried shrimp and scallion rice noodles in Asian grocery stores in compact trays with a plastic sauce cup for a quick lunch or snack these days. Dim sum restaurants are another place to find them. The Chinese fried dough wrapped in rice noodle dim sum meal that I first saw in dim sum restaurants as an adult is a simple one to cook at home. If you’re shopping at an Asian grocery store, you can usually get Chinese crullers (the fried dough) near the tofu area.
On their own, they’re fine; but when wrapped in rice noodles, they’re something else entirely. Fuggetaboutit. The Chinese/Brooklyn-accented accent is really great.
If you don’t have access to an Asian grocery store in your neighborhood, you can get the items from Amazon and have them delivered directly to your door.
Let’s get to the food!
INGREDIENTS:
HOMEMADE RICE NOODLES
- 1 1/2 cups of rice flour
- 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water
- 1 cup of boiling water
- 3 tablespoons of tapioca starch
- 2 tablespoons of wheat starch
- 2 tablespoons of canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
DIPPING SAUCE:
- ½ cup of water
- 2 teaspoons of light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
SHRIMP AND SCALLION ROLLS:
- 1/2 batch of the cheung fun batter
- ¼ cup of dried shrimp
- ¼ cup of chopped scallions
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- toasted sesame seeds
FRIED DOUGH ROLLS:
- 1 batch of cheung fun batter
- 1 package of Chinese crullers
INSTRUCTIONS:
RICE NOODLES:
- A mixing bowl should be used to combine all of the rice flour, tapioca starch, wheat starch, and salt. Take 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water and 1 tablespoon canola oil and whisk until emulsified. The hot water should be whisked in with the whisk. Allow the batter to rest for 45 minutes before moving on to the next step.
- Rice noodles were steamed in an aluminum 10-inch square cake pan. Alternatively, you can bake the cake in a 9-inch round pan and modify the batter quantity accordingly. In order for the batter to coat the bottom of the pan evenly, the noodles should be about 1/8″ thick. Even though this homemade noodle may be a little wider than the dim sum in restaurants, you can try making them even thinner!
- Steaming can be done in either a wok or a deep skillet, but it must have a lid. Place at least two inches of water in the chosen container. It’s important that the cake pan with the batter in it is able to float on the surface of the water, and then the entire cooking vessel can be covered. Stirring occasionally will keep the water at a mild boil.
- Brush oil all over the pan, including the bottom and sides. Simmering water is a great way to warm up a pan of oil. Pour a small amount of batter into the pan, and then carefully lift the pan off of the stovetop. Stir it quickly so that the bottom of the pan is equally coated. I used a third of a cup of batter at a time for a 10″ square pan. After coating the pan, lay it on top of the simmering water and cover it with a lid for 3 minutes, then remove it from the water and allow it to cool for a few minutes before slicing into it.
DIPPING SAUCE:
- To begin, put the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. The sauce should be thin, yet coat the back of a spoon in a translucent layer after adding black soy sauce and oyster sauce. Set aside for a later time.
SHRIPM AND SCALLION ROLLS:
- You can begin preparing these as soon as the cheung fun batter is ready. Rinse the dried shrimp in a strainer under running water if using. Allow them to soak for ten minutes in warm water. Drain the shrimp, and then slice them into little pieces. Set away for a later time.
- For 2 minutes, sauté chopped shrimp in a medium-sized pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Stir in the salt and scallions, and mix thoroughly until they are evenly distributed over the dish. Set aside after being removed from the heat. In the absence of shrimp, simply sauté the scallions in oil and salt for one minute before removing them from the pan.
- Remove the cake pan from the simmering water and cook your rice noodle according to the directions above. If you’re using pre-made rice noodle sheets, you must spread them out on a clean, level surface.
- Cover the noodles with about 2 tablespoons of the shrimp and scallion mixture and toasted sesame seeds. When you remove one side of the rice noodle from the pan, carefully roll it up into a cigar.
- After that, cut into 1 to 2 inch pieces using a heated, water-dipped sharp knife. Serve with the preferred dipping sauce and sesame seeds on the side.
FRIED DOUGH ROLLS:
- To prepare the Chinese fried dough rice roll, follow the package directions and bake 2 crullers until crispy. Cooking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for a few minutes is usually sufficient. Make two halves of each cruller, as they often come in two packs.
- Roll each cruller half in a rice noodle sheet after you’ve cooked your rice noodles. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce. This cruller was made using a somewhat too thick rice noodle, but you may fine-tune the thickness to your liking with practice.