Silky steamed rice flour rolls served with sweet dark soy sauce and chile, a beloved Malaysian-Chinese breakfast and snack.
Chee cheong fun are delicate, silky rolls made from a thin rice flour batter steamed in wide sheets before being rolled up, their smooth, slightly chewy texture a hallmark of good Cantonese-influenced Malaysian cooking. The batter must be thin enough to spread evenly across a steaming tray, cooked just until set into a translucent sheet before being carefully rolled while still warm and pliable. Served drizzled with a sweetened dark soy sauce and sometimes topped with sesame seeds, fried shallots or a savory sauce, chee cheong fun is a beloved Malaysian breakfast and dim sum item, best eaten warm and freshly made.
Serves 4
Whisk rice flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, water and salt into a smooth, thin batter.
Lightly oil a wide, flat heatproof tray or plate that fits inside your steamer.
Stir the batter well, then pour a thin layer into the oiled tray, and steam over boiling water for 4-5 minutes until set and translucent.
Stir the batter thoroughly before each pour, since the starches settle quickly and an unstirred batter results in an uneven, less silky texture.
While still warm, gently roll the steamed sheet up using a spatula, then transfer to a serving plate.
Repeat with the remaining batter to make additional rolls.
Simmer dark soy sauce, sugar and water for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Slice the rolls into shorter pieces, drizzle with the sweet soy sauce, and garnish with fried shallots and sesame seeds.
Stir the batter thoroughly before pouring each layer, since the starches settle quickly at the bottom of the bowl between pours.
Roll the steamed sheets while they're still warm and pliable — they become harder to roll neatly once cooled.
Steam in a very thin, even layer for the most delicate, silky texture in the finished rolls.
Some versions add a filling of shrimp or char siu inside the roll before rolling.
A version with a savory sauce, using chile oil and sesame paste, is common as an alternative to the sweet soy sauce.
Adding a scattering of chopped scallion to the batter gives extra flavor.
Best eaten fresh and warm; refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days and steam briefly to reheat, since the texture firms up considerably once cold.
Chee cheong fun reflects the strong Cantonese culinary influence found across Malaysia, particularly popular as a breakfast item and dim sum offering, with the technique of steaming thin rice batter sheets rooted in southern Chinese cooking traditions.
Yes, any wide, flat heatproof plate or dish that fits inside your steamer works well as a substitute.
They were likely steamed too long and became too firm, or weren't oiled enough on the tray — steam just until set and roll while still warm.
Whisk it more thoroughly before steaming, and make sure to stir it again before each subsequent pour, since the starches settle quickly.
Per serving (180g / 6.3 oz) · 4 servings total
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