Cheung fun
Cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) are a classic street food dish in Hong Kong. They can be sweet or savoury, so Suzie has made a prawn version and another with a sweet and salty peanut butter filling.
Ingredients
For the prawn cheung fun
- approx. 24 raw king prawns (thawed if frozen), peeled and deveined
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 120g/4oz rice flour
- 40²µ/1½´Ç³ú cornflour
- 50g/1¾oz wheat starch
- 100ml/3½fl oz boiling water
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced, to garnish
For the sweet soy dipping sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp sesame oil
For the peanut cheung fun
- 1½ tbsp peanut butter
- 190ml/6¾fl oz boiling water
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 120g/4oz rice flour
- 40²µ/1½´Ç³ú cornflour
- 50g/1¾oz wheat starch
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- approx. 250ml/9fl oz lukewarm water
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
Method
Put the prawns in a bowl with the cornflour, soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix well to coat and leave to marinate for at least 5 minutes.
Place a steamer over a pan of simmering water. Add the prawns to the steamer basket, making sure the prawns are separated and in an even layer (so they cook evenly). Don't overcrowd the steamer; you may need to cook the prawns in two batches. Cover with a lid and steam for 2 minutes or until the prawns are pink.
To make your rice noodle batter, add the rice flour, cornflour and wheat starch to a bowl and mix together. Add in 100ml/3½fl oz boiling water and quickly whisk to make a smooth paste. Add 250ml/9fl oz of lukewarm water and whisk until thin and viscous. Whisk in a tablespoon vegetable oil.
Find a cake tin or small roasting tin that will fit inside your steamer basket (use one with a solid bottom – not a springform tin). Brush the bottom of the tin with oil and place in the steamer set over simmering water.
Ladle in enough batter to coat the bottom of the cake tin in a thin layer. You might need to move the tin around to spread the batter evenly – like when making a pancake – but be careful as the tin will be hot. Steam for 2–3 minutes or until the noodle bubbles.
Let it cool in the tin for a minute and brush lightly with oil. Carefully remove the noodle from the tin and place on a board. Gently roll up the noodle to form a tube and place in a lightly oiled roasting tin while you make the other noodles.
Continue steaming and rolling the noodles in the same way until you’ve used all the batter.
Place three prawns in a line on a noodle and carefully roll up. Trim off any excess noodle. Repeat to use all the prawns and noodles.
To make the sweet soy dipping sauce, heat the soy sauce with 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring to the boil and cook to reduce the volume of liquid. Once it reaches a syrupy consistency, take off the heat and add the sesame oil.
Serve the prawn cheung fun drizzled in a little of the dipping sauce and garnished with sliced spring onion. Serve any remaining dipping sauce alongside.
For the peanut cheung fun, start by making the peanut butter sauce. Put the peanut butter in a small bowl and mix in 4 tablespoons of boiling water.
In a separate bowl, mix the hoisin sauce with 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Add the sugar and soy sauce.
Make and cook the noodle batter as in steps 3–7 above.
When you have used all of your batter, slice the rolls into bite-size pieces and drizzle generously with the peanut and hoisin sauces. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.