Cantonese 'cheong fun' (Steamed Rice-Rolls) Recipe

This is a dish I've always loved. It's my absolute must-have when I go for dimsums. This is a recipe shared by a friend and I didnt know it was possible to make it at home since I've only seen it done with special steaming machines and techniques at the hawkers'.

I'm not gonna lie, if it's your first time making this, it might be a little tricky. Needless to say, I failed to make it aesthetically pleasant the first few times. But practice makes perfect, if you love this dish, it's worth the effort.

Cooking tools:
flour sieve
oil brush
steaming trays
steamer
a flat tool (wide icing spreader works) to assist in rolling of rice rolls

Ingredients (makes 2-3 portion):
220ml cold water 70g sieved rice flour 1 tbsp wheat starch (note: NOT wheat flour) 1 tbsp corn starch 1/4 tsp salt 2-3 tbsp veg oil
oil for brushing
toasted sesame seeds/ fried shallots for garnish
(for the filling, you can choose to use either BBQ pork 'chasiu', fresh prawns (cooked and peeled), or dried shrimps with green onions). The easiest one to make would be the fried shrimps + green onions.

Sauce for dipping (varies depending on desired consistency/ taste):
5 tsp soy sauce
5 tsp warmwater
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Add water in a bowl/pot + rice flour + wheat starch + corn starch + salt + oil, stir thoroughly until no clumps and then cover and leave aside for at least 1 hour before use.
   
2. Prepare the chasiu (I will share the recipe for homemade chasiu some other time, otherwise you can buy ready made ones) dice them into tiny bits. (you can substitute chasiu for cleaned and cooked prawns or wash dried shrimps and chop green onions)
3. Prepare steaming tray : brush oil on surface before pouring in mixture from (1). This is quite tricky (trial and error to get the right thickness/ consistency you like), you dont want it too thick so pour a thin layer just enough to cover the surface of the tray. Sprinkle fillings (pork/ prawns/ dried shrimps+greenonions) generously over the tray
   
4. Steam in the steamer for approximate 7-8 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 1- 2 minutes. Then comes the trickiest part - Rolling & Plating. Brush a little oil on the flat tool before using it to gently and slowly lifting as you roll the thin sheet across the tray.
5. You can plate it and serve as it is or cut them in parts (~1-2inches) and panfry them until crispy.
6. Garnish and serve with dipping sauce mixture.

Voila!

Difficulty level : moderate - tricky
Prep. time : 1.5 hours + 7 minutes steam time per tray