Sticky rice roll with Chinese doughnut and pork floss (Chi fan)

Chi fan is a popular dish of Shanghai origin. Here it's filled with crispy savoury Chinese doughnut, pork floss and chopped preserved vegetables. It’s like a sticky, warm version of sushi.

Chi Fan (Sticky rice roll with Chinese doughnut and pork floss) Credit: Alana Dimou

• serves

  4

• prep

  35 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 500 g glutinous rice, washed and soaked overnight in cold water
• 100 g preserved or pickled vegetables
• 1 litre canola oil (or other cooking oil)
• 1 store-bought savoury Chinese doughnut
• 50 gpork floss

Resting time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. Pour water into a large saucepan to a depth of about 3 cm and bring to the boil. Line a bamboo basket or a sieve with muslin – choose one that can sit inside the pan without touching the water.
2. Add the rice and spread it out evenly, then make a little hole in the middle (this will help the steam to come through and ensure the rice is cooked properly). Cover and steam for 25–30 minutes until the rice is tender.
3. If you are using a packet of ready-to-eat preserved vegetables, just give them a rough chop. If you are using whole preserved vegetables, you might need to give them a rinse or even a soak before chopping, depending on how salty they are.
4. Pour the oil into a medium saucepan and heat to 170°C or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 20 seconds. Add the Chinese doughnut and fry for about 1 minute, turning constantly, to give it a crunchier texture. Remove with tongs and drain on paper towel. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 180°C  and heat the Chinese doughnut up for 2 minutes.
5. Split the Chinese doughnut in half lengthways, then cut each piece in half, or into 12 cm lengths.
6. Lay a cloth or a sushi mat on the table, then a piece of plastic wrap (about 25 cm x 25 cm). Spread one-quarter of the rice over the plastic wrap in a rectangle as if you were making a sushi roll.
7. Arrange some of the pork floss lengthways in the centre of the rectangle. Top with preserved vegetables, then Chinese doughnut. Using the cloth or sushi mat, roll up the rice to enclose the filling and make a firm roll. Hold and twist both ends of the plastic wrap in opposite directions to tighten the roll and press firmly to seal. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make four rolls in total.
8. Rest for about 10 minutes. These rolls are traditionally eaten whole, like a kebab, so you can keep the plastic and unwrap it as you eat. Alternatively, you can unwrap it and cut it into pieces.

 

Hong Kong Local by ArChan Chan, published by Smith Street Books (RRP $39.99). Photography by Alana Dimou.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.