steamed shrimp rice roll

Step 1

Peel and devein the shrimp. Marinade in baking soda, salt, and sesame oil. If using frozen shrimp, which usually has added salt, then omit the salt. Set aside or in the fridge while you prep other ingredients.

Step 2

For the rice roll batter, mix together the dry ingredients first: rice flour (not glutinous rice flour), potato starch, tapioca starch, and salt. Gradually add the water to the batter and mix very thoroughly with a whisk. Add neutral oil, mix again, and set aside.

Step 3

For the rice roll sauce, mix together hot water, sugar, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and oyster sauce (optional but recommended) until sugar dissolves.

Step 4

Prepare a steamer (use whatever kind you have, I’m using a pan + a bamboo steamer; a wok works well too). Fill the pan with water and place the steamer on top, and turn on the heat to high.

Step 5

While the water heats up, split the marinated shrimp into 2 equal batches and arrange the first batch on a plate. Steam for ~3 mins or until cooked (cook time may vary depending on size of the shrimp). Repeat with second batch of shrimp. Set aside to cool.

Step 6

Make sure that the plate you’re using for the rice rolls is clean and dry, and add it to the steamer (without any batter). Cover the pan with a lid to let the plate preheat for a few minutes.

Step 7

After a few mins, brush a tiny bit of oil all over the bottom of the plate. Mix your rice roll batter very thoroughly with a whisk, and ladle in JUST enough batter to cover the bottom of the plate. I usually ladle a little bit less, then tilt the pan or plate carefully to even out the batter and achieve a thin layer.

Step 8

Cover the steamer with the lid, and let steam for ~3-4 mins or until the color of the batter turns from opaque white to translucent. If you’re using a steamer setup in which the plate is closer to the steam, it will require less time than using a bamboo steamer.

Step 9

Remove from the steamer and let cool for a few minutes. In the meantime, repeat steps 3-5 in this section. The whole process will go a lot faster if you have multiple plates to cycle through!

Step 10

Once the plate is cool to the touch, it’s ready to assemble. Lay 3 cooked shrimp across the middle of the roll. Using a silicone spatula or plastic bench scraper, gently lift and peel the bottom and top edges away from the plate and lay over the shrimp.

Step 11

Put onto a plate, top with the rice roll sauce, scallions, sesame seeds, and enjoy! If you like to eat them piping hot, you can always pop them back into the steamer for a few minutes once they’re all assembled.