Shanghai breakfast rice rolls

Your ingredients

Get ready: Steamer, food-safe muslin, bamboo rolling mat, cling film and damp spatula.

• 🍚360 g glutinous rice
• 🥜1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 🥣2 tsp pickled chilli-garlic sauce, optional
• 🥬1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 🥩50 g pork floss
• 🥣30 g zha cai preserved mustard stem, finely chopped
• 🥣2 ready-made youtiao dough sticks

Let’s make it

1. Soak and steam

   Rinse rice, cover with cold water and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Drain and spread over a damp food-safe muslin cloth in a steamer. Fold cloth over rice and steam for 30–35 minutes, until tender. Check the water level and top up with boiling water when needed.

2. Prepare the fillings

   Heat ready-made youtiao according to their packet until crisp. Have floss, drained preserved vegetables, spring onion and optional sauce ready before uncovering the rice.

3. Roll with a barrier

   Lay a clean food-safe sheet of cling film over a bamboo rolling mat. Sprinkle with half the sesame and spread half the warm rice into a rectangle. Use a damp spatula; do not handle scalding rice. Add half the fillings and one youtiao along the centre.

4. Wrap firmly

   Lift the film and mat to bring the long edges together. Press firmly into a tight roll, keeping all film outside the food. Repeat, unwrap completely and halve each roll. Serve immediately. The rolling mat supplies pressure without sticky fingers.