aka 粢飯 or 飯糰. Stuffed sticky rice rolls filled with a Chinese you tiao (油條), pork floss, and preserved vegetables. These stuffed rice rolls are always a popular breakfast item around Shanghai and also in Taiwan, and typically served with soy milk. Perfect for breakfast and also for when you need something on the go, because it can keep you full for hours.
Don’t we all just love carbs? They keep us full, and they make us happy in a way. These stuffed rice rolls are like the Chinese version of the Japanese Onigiri. We use glutinous rice (sticky rice) for this, NOT regular rice. This is because glutinous rice wraps the ingredients together so much better, compared to regular rice. It’s also chewier, creamier, and has a sweeter taste. Note: make sure the glutinous rice has cooled down just a little bit, and is still slightly warm when assembling, or else it won’t stick as well and it won’t be as tasty. You can also cover the cooked glutinous rice with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out!
If you don’t have a steamer to steam the glutinous rice, don’t worry, you can also cook it in a rice cooker.
I love making these for on the go, especially for picnics, hikes, road trips, or basically when I know I’m going to be out for a long time, because it’s super convenient, and keeps me full for hours.
If you do try out this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! I’d also love to see your creations so don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!
Fantuan (Stuffed Rice Rolls)
Ingredients
- 1 cup glutinous rice
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
- 200 ml water
- 80 g Chinese preserved vegetable (榨菜)
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1 piece of Chinese fried dough (you tiao)
- ½ cup pork floss
Instructions
- Start off by washing and draining the glutinous rice 2 times. Then, soak in water for 1 hour. Drain.
- In a wide dish, brush vegetable oil all around the dish (this prevents the rice from sticking). Add in the drained rice, and mix it with the salt and vegetable oil. Pour in 200ml of water. Place in a steamer and steam for 30 minutes over high heat. Alternatively, you can also use a rice cooker. (Note: when the rice is done, cover the rice with heat proof plastic wrap when cooling to prevent it from drying out!)
- While the rice is cooling down to a slightly warm temperature, stir fry the preserved vegetable with the sugar. Set aside to cool.
Assembling:
- Place a large piece of plastic wrap on your work surface. Scoop out half of the rice onto the plastic wrap (always wet the paddle to prevent the rice from sticking), and flatten it to make a large rectangle.
- Sprinkle on half of the pork floss, and top off with half of the cooked preserved vegetables, half of the Chinese fried dough. Sprinkle on more pork floss on top. Roll it up tightly, like a burrito. Twist both the ends of the plastic wrap so the roll is packed like a log. Repeat for the other roll. Slice both of the rolls in half and enjoy!
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