“Chee Chong what?” you may ask. But have a closer look at these babies. You’ve probably seen these proffered from stainless steel trolleys driven by determined Yum Cha trolley ladies that either drive the trolleys right past you ignoring you or stop and interrupt you when you clearly have enough on your table already and are busy mid conversation. I confess years ago a friend of mine and I had a fantasy about being Yum Cha trolley ladies for a day just to see what it was like. We wanted to see whether driving trolleys in a packed Chinese restaurant, maneuvering around tight spaces and being gridlocked at random, inopportune times gave you a very special version of road rage and made you resultantly dismissive and cranky as most of them seem to be, or whether it was an innate personality thing.
My Mother actually said that making these rolls were hard as they sometimes worked but sometimes didn’t but let me assure you that between the two of us, through trial and error one afternoon, we managed to find a foolproof way to make them quickly and easily. Usually the mix is made and stands for an hour and they then need to be cooked in a steamer. This version however produces a deliciously soft but easy version using a microwave with no standing time and only 2 minutes cooking on high. They key of course is in the rolling. This is best achieved if they are allowed to rest for 1 minute to firm up slightly and of course become cooler to the touch.
You can use prawns or whatever filling you like. Traditional fillings range from beef, chicken, pork sausage (in Vietnamese cuisine) and vegetables and it is very versatile. My husband gobbled these down in no time with very little urging. I adore these too and am a little ashamed at how many I can eat in one sitting (ok I’ll confess, I can eat 8 in one go easily).
Tell me Dear Reader, what is your mum’s favourite recipe? The one that lures you home?
P.S. If you haven’t had a chance to do so, I’d be ever so pleased if you could fill in the Not Quite Nigella survey. There’s a chance to win 1 of 3 Nigella Lawson aprons! 
Link here.
And if your mum’s or Nanna’s recipes are just so fantastic you want to share them with the world, click here to see our Secret Nanna recipe book project!
Chee Chong Fun Rice Noodle Rolls
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Makes 10 rolls in a 16×21cm container
For Rice Noodle Rolls
- 2 1/2 cups rice flour
- 5 cups water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
For filling and garnish
- 300g BBQ pork (Char Siu) diced into small pieces
- Spring onions, sliced
- Soy sauce and sesame oil to drizzle over to serve
1. Combine all ingredients for the Rice Noodle Rolls in a bowl and mix thoroughly to ensure that all of the lumps of flour are removed. You can always sieve it before you add the oils if you like just to make sure.
Sieving the rice flour mixture
2. In a clean dry microwave proof container (roughly 16 x 21cms) spoon a ladleful of the mixture ensuring to stir the contents well and making sure to incorporate the flour that settles on the bottom. If you have containers of that size, a 150ml ladle is perfect but if not, no fear, there should be roughly 3mm of liquid. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes (depending on wattage of microwave oven you may require a bit more time). It should be set but not hard or dry.
You can start rolling this from the opposite end and therefore end up with the filling showing through the translucent rice paper
3. Set aside for 1 minute to cool. Sprinkle BBQ pork and spring onions at the shorter end – about an inch will do. You can either roll these up from either short end. At Yum Cha they like to show the filling facing up so you would start from the end without the filling and roll up – we did it from the opposite way as shown in the picture. Ensure that you wash the container well and dry it between making each one.
4. Serve with extra spring onions, a drizzle of soy sauce and sesame oil.
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50 Comments | Add your own
Oh, yummy! That’s the kind of dish I love! New to me…
Cheers,
Rosa
Beautiful! I love these rice noodle rolls and I’d be always impatiently waiting for the trolly with this to come by at yum cha!
I always wondered how its made, now the mystery’s solved. hehe.
You know, I’d never thought of it like that – We make ours using a packet mix that is dissolved in water, and then either steamed over a cloth stretched over a pot of boiling water and skilfully peeled off (how they do it in Vietnam) or in mum’s prized really shallow non-stick pan. They’re quickly flipped out into an oiled plate and rolled up with the filling (usually minced pork, prawns and maybe some radish). I think your way gives a much smoother yum cha like surface though!
They look delish and full of love.
Lovely. I always order this whenever I’m out for dim sum. Love mine with crispy fried devils or with prawns!
Great to see your mum’s recipe up there! These looks lovely – definitely worth a try.
I always go back to mum for chicken schnitzel with mushroom gravy! Soo good!
That looks yummy. I must confess I can eat many of these (probably more than you Lorraine!) in one sitting – my faves are the prawn ones – now I want to go to the Regal!!
Of course I’d want to serve it with the sauce on the top – is that just a soy sauce/oyster sauce /sesame oil combo?
My mums’ favourite dish? I must say I’m a fan of her lemon meringue pie and my birthday cake request for many years was her Bombe Alaska!
Yay I love chee chong fun! How great that you and your mum found a foolproof recipe
This reminds me of how my mum made them for us while we were living in the middle east and there wasn’t any way to eat most Chinese dishes unless we made them ourselves. She also did the best curry puffs and satays, must get the recipes off her! LOL at the yum cha trolley road rage, they can get rather cranky!
I have never heard of nor seen these noodles before. They look delicious!
yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum!!! One of my favorites at yum cha! Can’t wait to try out this recipe!
x
Hmm – I am going to yum cha today so this post has definitely put me in the mood
Thanks again NQN!
I usually just buy ready made rice paper rolls… but this technique looks really foolproof! Rice noodles skillsss!!
Ooh, I love these rolls! Esp. the prawn ones. They are the reason I go to yum cha! These look great, esp with the sprinkle of shallots on top
Delicious! Makes me want to take the afternoon off to go to yum cha.
wow! nice work! When I was young, my grandma made these for me alllll the time. Homemade was FANTASTIC!
Great recipe to share. It’s a little intimidating to work with rolls like this from scratch, but the ingredient list is short! That’s encouraging.
(gasp) Lorraine!!! I’ve been looking for detailed instructions on how to make these rolls for a long time. This is what I look for when I go out for dim sum. In fact, I judge a dim sum restaurant almost solely on the basis of how well they make these rolls.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
Yum, these look delicious! And so reasonably easy. I’m impressed!
I LOVE chee cheong fun! Love it. They have a version here which I don’t get back home (”char leong”/crispy cheong fun) which is filled with.. oops. Only know what it’s called in hokkien unfortunately – Yaw char kuay.
Will definitely try this one after my exams! I can’t wait for it all to be over… I’ve got tickets to Taste the day after I finish, so yay.
Mmm! I also like the plain fried version with peanut sauce!:) Can you blog about how to make har gows?! Those are awesome!
I think my favourite of my mum’s food is Bouillabaisse. Especially on a Winter’s day.
I love love love chee cheong fan! my dad even has an old scouts song for it…
Ah Cheong Sok is a cut throwed hawker,
Chee Cheong Fan ,
Eh!!!
Chee Cheong Fan,
He say’s his things are very cheapy,
Chee Cheong Fan,
Eh!!!
Chee Cheong Fan,
He marry a wife who is ‘So Lo Kuai’,
Whose father’s name is ‘Char Tao Kuay’,
and they live in a ‘Yap Pun Kai’
Chee Cheong Fan,
Eh!!!
Chee Cheong Fan.
Hehe I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to be a yum cha trolley lady for a day as well! My favourite Chee Chong Fun is the ones with yu tiao or deep-fried bread in the middle, but only when it’s fresh of course
What a brilliant idea!! Microwave Chee cheong Fun. We love this dish. It’s always our must have during yum cha. I am so tempted to try it out this long weekend but first I have to look for rectangular microwave proof container
these look great plus they’re nice and fresh! i hate it when we get the luke warm/cold ones at yum cha! they muct be eaten hot.
P.S. the yum cha trolleys are REALLY hard to push so maybe that does contribute to why the trolley ladies always seem so cranky/dismissive. I know because I’ve worked at a chinese restaurant before hehehe
The microwave method certainly sounds easier than steaming them. I love the idea of yum cha trolley road rage!
I used to eat this every single day in my school cafeteria with a bowl of laksa when I was in Singapore. but our chee cheong fun had some kind of dark and sweet soya sauce over!
what an interesting post. These look so good. !
I’m glad you reminded me about Secret nana–totally forgot! Duh!
Hi Rosa-Ah wonderful, if you make it I’d love to know what you think of it!
Hi Yas-Thankyou! Hehe yes I always look out for the telltale oval metal lids
Mystery solved! 
Hi Chris-Ahh interesting! Sounds like a fascinating process! I’d love to see you do that on your blog
Hi Bethie-Thankyou! They were I think
Hi pigpigscorner-Oooh yes! I love the prawn one the best but ready made char siu is so nice and easy
Hi Anita-Yes! She’s giving them out more often now which is great. That sounds delicious-it’s making me so hungry!
Hi Liss-I should see how many I can eat in one go!
Me too, the prawn one done well is so good and moreish. I think so!
But I haven’t found anything definitive about the sauce although I find it a bit sweet too.
Oh WOW, your mum sounds like a complete star!
Hi Steph-YAY! I know, we enjoyed the research
Ah interesting! So your mum became a great cook out of necessity! Yes
they can can’t they!
Hi Barbara-They’re really good-a yum cha staple!
Hi Iron Chef Shellie-Cool! Let me know what you think of it if you make it!
Hi Esz-Fantastic! Lucky you! I wish every day was a Yum Cha day
Hi Trisha-Ahh I think I’ve seen some like that. Haha yes skillz are good!
Hi Betty-I have to say the prawn ones are my favourite too
Thankyou! I thought they looked a bit plain without the spring onions 
Hi Cakelaw-Hehe that would be the best Friday afternoon!
Hi Teresa-Thankyou! Aww what a nice grandma! Yes it’s so fresh when it’s made at home
Hi The Duo Dishes-Thankyou! Honestly it’s quite easy once you get the hang of the rolling, I promise!
Hi Leela-oooh great minds think alike!
Hehe you’re definitely a connoisseur! You’re more than welcome 
Hi Gab* -Yes they’re so quick, honestly!
Hi Su-yin-Oh I think I know what you mean! And yes it’s so yummy
Hi Carolyn-Yup that is great I agree! I’ve tried making those. The filling was great but the outside was next to impossible
Hi Alexandra-Hehe oh wow, you’re from a family of Chee Chong Fun fans!
Brilliant! 
Hi Sarah-Hehe I would love to try it but I suspect I’d tire of it quickly
Yup deep fried bread has to be fresh I agree!
Hi Ellie-Thanks! You could always use any sort of container (even one of those takeaway containers provided they have a flat
bottom
Hi K-Thankyou! Yes the texture really changes when they get cold! Aha! Interesting, so that helps in solving the mystery of
the Yum Cha ladies
Hi Arwen-It is! A lot less equipment too which is good
Haha I wonder if there are any arguments over lanes? 
Hi Sophia -Oh yum! These would be great with laksa! Interesting, our sauce here is thin but slightly sweet.
Hi snooky doodle-Thankyou so much!
Hi Blond Duck-Cool! Can’t wait to see your recipes!
This is one of my fave dishes, but it is hard to find over here, though easy in TO where i am from, but normally a bit expensive. I will have to try and make this
I’m a bit curious. May I ask if your mom is Chinese or Asian?
Omgosh Lorraine! That looks so delicious! The ingredients look so simple too!
for me, it was always my dad who said that these were too hard to make at home – so we seem to always have it when we go yum cha!
as for my mum’s favourite recipe, it would be anything that my dad cooks. it doesn’t just lure mum home, dad’s cooking also lures me home regardless if i have a date or not!
Fantastic! My favourite is the minced beef filled cheong fun. Can you investigate how they make the mango pancakes so smoothly without any grill marks next? I’d love to find a recipe. My favourite dish of my mum’s is her flavouring for the stuffing of short soup wontons, it has the regular pork mince, prawns and shallots but she adds sesame oil and dried mushroom mince too which makes it taste better than the stuff you get in restaurants.
Wow, I always wondered how these were made!
For some reason I have rice flour in my house and have zero clue how or why.
Awesome idea and learned something new b/c I have never heard of this before.
this looks yummy. i’m not quite sure if i’ve tasted this but where i come from (philippines), we have a very similar dish called “lumpiang sariwa” that my mom used to also make a lot. the crepe batter doesn’t have any rice flour though, just plain AP flour, and it is filled commonly with ground pork, shrimps and veggies and served with a dipping sauce.
These look amazing!
Can you share your char siu recipe?
MMMMM…they look georgous, Lorraine!
Lovely filling! Yum Yum Yum!!
Oh fab! I like mine with prawns. So the microwave method turns out just like it has been steamed?
Looks good – one other suggestion for a filling…try deep frying a sheet of the noodle dough so it puffs up – the texture of the crispy noodle wrapped in the silky soft steamed noodle is wonderful. Amazingly the noodle will stay crispy despite being steamed.
Hi ArtemisIII-Oh cool! Well you can do it from the comfort of your own home!
I’d love to know what you think of it!
Hi Lilia-My mum is from Singapore!
Hi jess-Thankyou so much! Honestly, it is SO easy-I was stunned at how easy it was!
Hi Panda-Ahh really! I think the traditional way is quite hard and fiddly but this is easy
Fantastic! Dads that can cook rock! 
Hi Moya-Mmmm minced beef would be nice! I’d love to know that myself adn I think my hubby would too
That sounds delicious! Wontons and dumplings are so comforting and delicious!
Hi justJENN-Cool! Mystery solved!
Hi Jeff-Haha really! Isn’t that the way of a true foodie
Hi Jescel-Thankyou! That sounds delicious! Perhaps it’s similar but I think the rice flour gives it quite a different texture. Will look out for the lumpiang sariwa thanks!
Hi Ericka-Thankyou! Sure I have my recipe for char Siu here
Hi Sophie-thankyou so much Sophie!
Hi Y -Prawn is my favourite but we had Char Siu here
Yep it’s just like the one at Yum Cha!
Hi Wayfarer-Thankyou!
Interesting! I like the sound of that and am amazed that it doesn’t go soggt-intriguing! 
Yum! it’s called bánh cuốn in Vietnamese. They are delicious. I often order it at my favorite dim sum restaurant.
Hi Jackie-Ahh good to know, thanks! I must try the Vietnamese version to see what it’s like
What a simple recipe I will have to give this a try.
I must say though that the name sounds like a 1950s stereotype – something they might name a Kan Tong dish after.
Hi Amaya-Ha I never thought of it that way!
I tried steaming over cloth on a perforated tray over an electric soup pot with boiling water. Fastest easiest way for me to get steam with a lid. (And am now set up for similar with an induction cooker.) Had to buy some cotton undershirts to get 100 per cent cotton plain cloth without imported blend of polyester or nylon in my little town. Cheapest way for me to get a little bit. I didn’t even need to cut up the shirt.
It works beautifully and easy. But, How do you clean the cloths after they are used? Soak in a pot of cold water and rinse by hand. Throw in with the laundry?
How do the guys in the stalls with their cloth steaming sheets do it at the end of the day?
Pans you clean by soaking in cold water. Steaming cloths same or different? Scrape after each chee fun and reuse, or something different?
also need recipe for the tim… sauce frequently mentioned on the web with chee cheong fan.
I found cotton handkercheif’s that are a good size for home steaming and inexpensive. Clean up is simple. Soak the cloth in cold watter in a pot for several hours or overnight. Squeeze and rinse in cold water a few times.
Think light starched laundry
The rice starch residual rinses right out. Steaming the cloth a few minutes prior to pouring out the batter on it will also sterilize the cloths. Or after rinsing the starch, throw them in the laundry (but this is overkill).
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