Kitchen Recipe Collection
Zha Liang (Fried Dough Noodle Roll)
A brilliant Cantonese dim sum invention. A crispy, deep-fried dough stick (Youtiao) wrapped snugly inside a delicate, slippery steamed rice noodle roll.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 2 servings
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 1/4 cup wheat starch
- 3 cups water
- 2 Youtiao (Chinese fried dough sticks)
- 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1/4 cup sweet soy sauce (for dim sum)
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce (optional)
- Cooking oil for greasing
Equipment
- Wide steamer
- Flat metal steaming tray
- Bench scraper
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Noodle Batter
Whisk rice flour, tapioca starch, wheat starch, and water together until smooth. Let rest for 15 minutes.
- 2
Toast Sesame Seeds
Lightly toast sesame seeds in a dry pan until fragrant.
- 3
Prepare Sauce
Warm the sweet soy sauce and mix in a little hoisin if desired for extra depth.
- 4
Reheat Youtiao
If the fried dough is not freshly made, crisp it up in a toaster oven or air fryer for 3 minutes.
- 5
Prepare Steamer
Set up a steamer with rapidly boiling water. Generously oil a flat metal tray.
- 6
Pour Batter
Stir the batter, then ladle a thin layer onto the oiled tray.
- 7
Steam Noodle Sheet
Steam for 2-3 minutes until the noodle sheet bubbles up and turns translucent.
- 8
Add Youtiao
Remove the tray. Lay one crispy Youtiao stick horizontally across the hot noodle sheet.
- 9
Wrap the Youtiao
Using a bench scraper, scrape the noodle sheet and roll it tightly around the Youtiao.
- 10
Cut the Roll
Transfer to a cutting board and slice the roll into bite-sized pieces (about 1.5 inches wide).
- 11
Plate
Arrange the pieces neatly on a serving platter.
- 12
Garnish and Serve
Drench generously with sweet soy sauce and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately before it gets soggy!
Cooking Tips
- Contrast is everything here: the noodle must be slippery and soft, while the Youtiao must be incredibly crunchy. Serve and eat it immediately.
- You can add a thin layer of hoisin sauce or sesame paste directly inside the noodle roll before wrapping.
Variations
- Shrimp Zha Liang: Wrap the Youtiao with shrimp paste before deep frying, then wrap it in the rice noodle.
- Green Onion Zha Liang: Sprinkle chopped scallions into the batter before steaming.
Nutrition Estimate
410 calories · 7g protein · 70g carbs · 12g fat · 2g fiber per serving
