Cheung Fun & Egg Stir Fry

Stir-fried cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) is something I grew up eating for brunch or a light meal on weekends – my mom would whip some up as a treat for me and my brother whenever she had a chance to pick some up from the Chinese grocery store. I have a lot of fond memories of eating it in pyjamas on lazy Saturdays, and cooking it always makes me feel nostalgic. The more commonly known version of cheung fun is at dim sum, stuffed with beef (my favourite), shrimp, fried Chinese donuts or plain and drizzled with soya sauce. It’s surprising to me that cheung fun still isn’t in major North American grocery stores – its delightful texture and flavour is universally appealing and it’s such a quick and easy meal to prepare (should bringing cheung fun to the North American masses be my next business venture?)

While it isn’t in major grocery stores, you can always find it in the refrigerated rice noodle section in any Chinese grocery store – I usually like to buy the one with dried shrimp, but I’ll settle for plain in a pinch. My grandma taught me to always find the softest, squishiest cheung fun on the shelf, as this means it’s freshest and will taste best. If its expiry date is soon or the noodles don’t feel squishy to the touch, I usually don’t buy it (but that’s more of a preference).

This is how I like to make cheung fun at home, the way my mama taught me. Depending on what I have in the fridge, I sometimes also add in Chinese greens like bok chop or Chinese broccoli, or sub out the fish cakes for fish balls or any other leftover protein I have in the fridge. The key is to let the cheung fun get crispy and golden in the pan (so don’t fuss around with it too much!) Think of it as a toasted marshmallow – you want it to be crispy golden on the outside and super soft on the inside.

PRO TIP: Let the cheung fun come to room temperature before cooking – this dish is all about texture, and letting the noodles soften will mean they’re extra soft and squishy once cooked – yum!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 packages cheung fun (rice noodle roll), with or without dry shrimp chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 green onions, chopped with whites and greens set aside
• 4 eggs, scrambled
• 1 bunch garlic chives, chopped into small pieces
• 1 small bunch cilantro
• 3 sheets Korean fish cake (optional)
• 2 tablespoons soya sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• Sesame seeds, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix eggs with garlic chives. In a large wok, drizzle oil and scramble eggs until cooked but still wet. Set aside
2. Add a drizzle of oil to wok, and add in cheung fun, garlic, green onion whites, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce and soya sauce. Toss until cheung fun is thoroughly coated in sauce. Toss in pan for 5-7 minutes, letting cheung fun become crispy and golden.
3. Add in fish cakes and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
4. Add egg back into pan, and toss until thoroughly mixed.
5. Serve topped with green onion greens, cilantro, and sesame seeds.