Cheung Fun (Prawn Rice Noodle Rolls)
Silky, slippery Cantonese steamed rice noodle rolls wrapped around prawns and drenched in a sweet soy sauce. A yum cha favourite made at home with a simple rice flour batter and a tray.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (160g) rice flour (not glutinous)
- 2 tbsp potato starch or tapioca starch
- 1 tbsp wheat starch or cornflour
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) water
- 1 tbsp neutral oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 250g raw peeled prawns, deveined and halved lengthwise
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- Sweet soy sauce: 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Make the sauce. Simmer the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and water in a small saucepan for 1 minute until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the sesame oil and set aside.
- Whisk the rice flour, potato starch, wheat starch, salt, water and oil into a smooth, thin batter, like pouring cream. Rest for 15 minutes. Season the prawns with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Set up a steamer: a wok with a rack and a lid that will fit a 20-23cm square or round metal tray or cake tin. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Brush the tray lightly with oil.
- Stir the batter (the flour settles quickly), then pour in just enough to thinly cover the base of the tray, about 1/3 cup. Scatter a few prawn halves and a little spring onion over one end.
- Cover and steam on high for 2-3 minutes, until the sheet is translucent and puffs up in bubbles.
- Lift out the tray and let it cool for 30 seconds. Using an oiled scraper or spatula, roll the sheet up from the prawn end into a loose roll and slide it onto a plate. Re-oil the tray and repeat with the remaining batter.
- Cut the rolls into pieces, pour over the sweet soy sauce and serve warm.
About this dish
Cheung fun (腸粉) are the slippery rice noodle rolls that arrive at yum cha swimming in sweet soy sauce. They are made from a thin rice batter steamed on a tray into a delicate sheet, then rolled around a filling, here prawns. Vietnam has a close cousin, banh cuon, filled with pork and wood ear mushroom.
All you need at home is rice flour, a little potato starch for stretch, and a flat tray that fits in your steamer. The sauce is a quick mix of light and dark soy sauce with sugar; our guide to soy sauce types explains why both are used. Serve cheung fun with siu mai and char siu for a home yum cha.
Tips for the best result
- Stir the batter every time before you pour. Rice flour sinks to the bottom within a minute.
- The thinner the layer, the silkier the roll. Your first one is a test; adjust the amount of batter from there.
- Use a high, rolling boil and keep the lid on tight. Weak steam makes thick, gummy sheets.
- Two trays speed things up: one steams while the other cools and gets rolled.
Substitutions
- Fillings: try diced char siu, beef mince with coriander, or no filling at all (plain cheung fun with sesame sauce and hoisin is a Hong Kong street snack).
- Wheat starch: replace with extra potato starch or cornflour for gluten-free rolls, and use tamari in the sauce.
Storage
Cheung fun are best eaten fresh, as the rolls firm up in the fridge. Keep leftovers for a day, covered, and re-steam for 3-4 minutes until soft again.
Cheung fun FAQs
Can I use glutinous rice flour?
No. Glutinous rice flour makes a sticky, chewy sheet. Use regular rice flour, sold in Asian grocers and most Australian supermarkets.
Why does my cheung fun tear?
Usually the batter is too thin in starch or the tray isn't oiled enough. Let the sheet cool for 30 seconds before rolling, and use an oiled scraper.
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