As soon as you walk into any hawker centre, you are sure to be amazed at the plethora of food from different cultures. One particular food that is sure to catch your eye is Chee Cheong Fun. Translated into English, it is known as rice noodle rolls, which is a common side dish served together with many other dishes.
What is Chee Cheong Fun?
Without further ado, Chee Cheong Fun is made from steamed rice noodles. It is then rolled into a tube form and served with soy sauce. Ready with a pair of chopsticks and you are set to feast on this simple yet delicious dish.
History of Chee Cheong Fun
Chee Cheong Fun was introduced to Malaysia in the 19th century and was brought by immigrants from Guangdong. This street food quickly garnered attention among the Chinese dialect groups and continued to spread throughout generations. Due to the age-old legacy, Chee Cheong Fun had cemented itself as an essential food of Chinese cuisine.
Today, it is definitely a must-try dish in Malaysia. Spanning across different generations of diverse culture among the Chinese community itself, the dish is then translated into a cuisine sprawl with different interpretation.
In Penang, Chee Cheong Fun is served with hae ko, a type of shrimp paste in Hokkien dialect. Whereas in Ipoh, two versions of this famous street food are served – dry and wet noodles. The dry version is mixed with bright red sweet sauce. And with Malaysian’s love for spicy food, chilli sauce and pickled green chilli are added into the mix. For the wet version, it is usually served with minced meat and mushroom gravy.
As time passed, other food ingredients are also added to complement the Chee Cheong Fun. Influenced by the Hakka communities, ingredients such as fish cake and fish balls are added and then topped off with curry sauce. This variation is commonly found in Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh.
How to Make Chee Cheong Fun
- The ingredients needed are a cup of rice flour, ¼ cup of tapioca or rice flour, water and soy sauce.
- Pour the ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir with a whisk. Water is then added slowly into the mixture with continued whisking to form a smooth batter.
- Cover the bowl and set it aside for 30 minutes.
- Boil water in a steamer. Lay a baking tray and preheat it in the steamer for 2 minutes.
- Stir the batter briefly and then pour it onto the preheated tray. Cover the steamer and cook it for 5 minutes until the batter bubbles and takes form.
- Remove the rice dough from the tray and roll it into a tube shape. Place it onto the serving dish and top it off with soy sauce.
A simple Chee Cheong Fun is done!
Do note this is just a simple walkthrough on the steps on making this dish. More detailed guidelines and instructions can be found online.
If you are not much of chef yourself, fret not, pre-packaged fresh rice rolls are available at local grocery stores. All you need to do is steam them, and get ready to feast.
Nutrition Fact Cheat Sheet
Fitness aficionados look over here. We understand how foodies like you often find it hard to balance a healthy diet with the addictive food all over Malaysia. So here is a fact sheet tailored just for you.
One roll of Chee Cheong Fun:
|
Calorie |
133 |
|
Carbs |
26g |
|
Fat |
2g |
|
Protein |
3g |
Where to find Chee Cheong Fun in Malaysia
The majority of the hawker centre in Malaysia serve Chee Cheong Fun, and we have picked out some locations that are great for you to try out this amazing dish! Restoran PJ Seaview (Petaling Jaya) is recommended, and you can find more at Nyonya Colors (Berjaya Time Square).
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