This Curry Chee Cheong Fun (咖哩猪肠粉, Gālí zhū cháng fěn) is one of those nostalgic foods growing up in Malaysia. It’s a simple rice noodle dish that I always look forward to for breakfast. This recipe is vegan, easy-to-make, and gluten-free.
Did you have a favorite food growing up? Mine is always Chu Cheong Fun (猪肠粉, Zhū cháng fěn) and it’s my must-have breakfast every time I visit home.
What is Chu Cheong Fun? It’s just simply a flat rice noodle dish that is normally rolled up and served with simple sauces.
Chu Cheong Fan is a transliteration from 猪肠粉, Zhū cháng fěn which translate to pig intestine noodle as the shape of the rolled noodles resemble pig intestines. But, don’t worry, these plain noodles are usually made with a mixture of rice flour, starch, and water.
There are usually a few sauces that you can pair this soft, chewy, smooth rice noodle dish with. Options include curry, sweet black bean sauce – similar to hoisin sauce – chili paste, or just with soy sauce and a drizzle of shallot oil.
My favorite is the first 3 sauces as a combo or just with curry alone. Whatever the combination is, this dish is simply delicious.
To make a complete meal, many sellers add stuffed vegetables or ‘Yong Tau Foo’ as an option for an extra cost. Here is how my Yong Tau Foo looks like that I made with tofu and other vegetables such as bitter gourd, beancurd sheet, okra, chili peppers, and eggplant.
Today, let’s make a simple version of this curry chu cheong fun with the steps below.
How to make Curry Chu Cheong Fun
First, prepare the batter for the noodles using the Homemade Flat Rice Noodle recipe. Please see my notes for other starch options.
Instead of using 2 non-stick cake pan, I used a flat quarter sheet pan to steam my noodles with.
For each steam, be sure to stir the batter until well-combined before adding to the sheet pan as the flour will set to the bottom of the bowl over time.
Brush a warmed pan with a layer of cooking oil (I used avocado oil), then add about 1/3 cup of batter into the pan. Please note that if you have a smaller or bigger pan, you’ll adjust the batter accordingly.
Brush a warmed pan with a layer of oil Add in a thin layer of batter Tilt the pan so the batter can coat the surface evenly
Steam batter over high heat for about 2 minutes until they turn matte white or fully cooked through.
Steam batter over high heat After 2 minutes
Brush the top layer with oil, then let the noodles cool down a little before removing and cutting them into your desired width. When the pan is hot, it’ll be hard for you to lift up the noodles.
Brush noodle sheet with oil
To make the curry, sauté homemade sambal for a few seconds, then, add in the water and let the mixture cook down. Stir in coconut milk and season to taste.
Ladle curry over chee cheong fun and enjoy a simple meal with a side of veggies or tofu dish for a complete meal.
Chee Cheong Fun’s batter variation
This recipe has two main ingredients; rice flour and tapioca starch. The proportion of these two flours with the water ratio determines the stretchiness and how thin the noodles are. With that said, I have tried a few ratios with the results below:
- Thin and soft, most suitable as serve-is. Because it’s so thin and soft, these are not good for stir-fries or drenched in curry. So, I normally serve this recipe with sweet bean sauce and chili sauce.
- 1/2 cup [80g] rice flour
- 2 -3 tablespoons tapioca starch
- 1 cup [235ml] warm water
- 1 cup [235ml] hot water
- drizzle of oil
- a pinch of salt
- Pliable and soft, doesn’t break easily, best for stir-fries such as Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles), Char Kuey Teow, or in this Chee Cheong Fan dish.
- 1 cup [120g] rice flour
- ⅓ cup [40g] tapioca starch
- a pinch of salt
- 1⅓ cup [315g] water
- I also found that when I replaced the above tapioca starch with sweet potato starch, the noodles are more stretchy.
Curry Chee Cheong Fun FAQ and Tips
Is it vegan? Yes, this recipe is but if you are in Malaysia, this is typically not a vegan dish as dried shrimps or sambal belacan are normally added to make the curry. They normally are if it’s with sweet bean sauce, so please check with the seller accordingly.
Mix the batter well before each steam – this is crucial as some rice flour will start to set at the bottom of the bowl.
How do I make sure the batter covers the pan? If you see the batter starts to separate and leave gaps in the pan. You can:
- Tilt the pan and let the batter slowly mix with the oil from the greased pan.
- This recipe calls for 1/3 cup of batter in a quarter size sheet pan which is just right to get the noodles thinness that I love. If you are using other proportions, please adjust accordingly.
- Or you can ‘shake’ the batter mixture in the greased pan over the steam. The heat will slowly cook the bottom layer allowing the batter to cover the rest of the pan easily.
I can’t lift up my noodle after it’s steamed – I brush a thin layer of oil on the pan even on a non-stick pan, then add the batter before steaming. Apply another thin layer of oil at the top and let the noodle cool completely before lifting it.
The side of the noodles curl up after it’s steamed – this could be a few reasons; 1. too much oil was added to the pan, you’ll only need a thin layer of oil, and 2. the batter is too thin.
This Curry Chee Cheong Fun is
- Homemade
- Gluten-Free
- Vegan
- Spicy
- Easily Customizable
- Flavorful
- ..and TASTY!!
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your feedback and see your beautiful re-creation. Leave me a comment, rate it, and tag @woon.heng and #woonheng to your photos on Instagram or Facebook. Happy cooking, friends!
Curry Chee Cheong Fun – 咖哩猪肠粉
Equipment
- Quarter sheet pan
- Steamer
Ingredients
Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Noodles)
- 1 cup [120g] rice flour
- ⅓ cup [40g] tapioca starch or sweet potato starch
- a pinch of salt
- 1⅓ cup [315g] water
- oil for brushing
Curry
- 3 tablespoons homemade sambal (red chili paste)
- 2 cups vegetable stock or water*
- ½ cup [125ml] coconut milk
- oil for cooking
- salt to taste
Other Ingredients
- fried shallots
- sesame seeds
Instructions
Chee Cheong Fun (Rice Noodles)
- Mix the rice flour, tapioca starch, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
- Gradually pour in the water and whisk continuously until no lumps appear. The mixture should be a thin batter.
How to cook the Rice Noodles
- Prepare a large wok or fry pan that is big enough to fit the steaming pan or plate snuggly. (I used two quarter size baking sheet pan).
- Fill the pan with water and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Grease the bottom of the pan or plate and add in about ⅓ cup [80g] batter. Stir the batter before each steam.
- Transfer the cake pan with batter and let it float on the boiling water. Tilt the cake pan a little so the batter covers the whole pan.
- Place a lid over and steam for 2 minutes over high heat or until the rice noodle is fully cooked through.
- When ready, place cooked noodles onto a cold water bath and brush the top of the noodle sheet with oil.
- Using a spatula, give the cake pan a swirl to loosen up the noodles. Cut into your desired thickness and lift it up.
- Set aside until ready to use or store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
How to cook the Curry
- In a heated non-stick with a drizzle of oil, sauté sambal to loosen the paste.
- Add in the vegetable stock or water and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Taste test and season, then slowly swirl in the coconut milk.
- Let the mixture simmer until slightly thickened.
How to Serve
- Place cut/rolled rice noodles in a bowl.
- Ladle warm curry over and garnish with fried shallots and toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- You can also warm the sheet pan before greasing it so the batter will stick to it as soon as you add it into the pan.
- If using water, season it with umami seasoning such as mushrooms powder for a more flavorful broth.
Wong
NOT authentic flavours, the one I grew up eating in Kuala Lumpur had chicken in it. Disgusting FAKE recipe for white people who don’t know what real food tastes like.
Siu Xian
Hi Woon Heng, thanks for sharing the recipe. For the thin and soft version, your recipe calls for equal amount of hot and warm water. Is this accurate? And if yes, what should be the mixing sequencd between the two? Would really appreciate your advice. Thanks!
LW
This is the third or fourth recipe I’ve made from your website and all of them have been absolute knockouts! This is delicious and fast – I had dinner done in something like 20 minutes, using some refrigerated rice noodles from my local international market. I used store bought sambal and some red curry paste but I will *definitely* be trying the homemade sambal recipe sooner rather than later! Absolutely going on my regular rotation for easy weeknight meals!
Joyce L
I tried this recipe however did not turn out good as sticky Texture at the bottom therefore not smooth texture to one side.
What to do or what went wrong?
Thanks
WoonHeng Chia
Hi Joyce, thanks for sharing your feedback. Normally, I lightly grease the pan before adding the batter. Then, once it’s steamed, I brush another thin layer of oil so it will not stick. You may also restrain your mixture to get a smoother texture before steaming. Hope this helps. Thanks a lot. Sincerely, WoonHeng
Anna Green
Hi WoonHeng! Would you consider posting your recipe for the sweet bean sauce that you use on your thin and soft noodles? Thanks for this great recipe!
woonheng
Hey Anna, thanks for the suggestion. I will once I give it a try. For a quicker way, I simply add some hot water to my favorite hoisin sauce and mix with some chile sauce.
Mary
This was very tasty and a new dish for us. We used store bought fresh pad see ew noodles to make this a quick meal. We might like to try it with a thicker, more sauce-like version of this with the same flavors next time. Thanks!
woonheng
Thanks so much, Mary. Would you be able to share the brand of the store-bought pad see ew noodles with us? Yes, you can adjust the thickness with homemade batter. 🙂 Best, WoonHeng
Misaki
Hi there, could you link the tray and tray holder you use? I would like to use the exact tray you have. Thank you.
Niki
Just made this and it was AMAZING!!!
woonheng
Thanks so much Niki! I’m so happy to hear you loved it. I hope you get to try other recipes soon. Happy cooking and have a beautiful day! Best, WoonHeng
Sudha
What a super fun and easy recipe to follow. Loved it and can’t wait to try more from your blog .
woonheng
Thanks so much dear. I am so happy you liked this recipe and can’t wait to see more of your creations soon. Best of luck, WoonHeng
Tania
This looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it.
woonheng
thanks so much! 🙂
Rachel
I am so excited to make this recipe! I’m not sure how to steam the noodles tho…I’d love to use something as big as my half sheet pan, but then I don’t have a pot large enough to steam. Have you ever made them in the oven with a hotel pan to steam? Does the steam need to circulate around the noodles, or is it more of a double boiler type situation? I really appreciate the guidance!
woonheng
Hey there, that’s a good choice but I haven’t tried it yet. The steam does need to circulate around the noodles to steam it. Hope you can let us know if you do try it. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead. Stay safe. Best, WoonHeng
Ed B
Wow.
Had never had this before, but the picture sold me. Made it tonight for dinner and it was incredible. Love the texture of the noodles, so flavourful with the sauce/soup. Added some bokchoy, which worked nicely with it.
Was a huge hit with the family and will be a regular staple in our house.
woonheng
Thank you SO much Ed! I am really happy that you made it and loved it. Yummy addition of bokchoy too, perfect. Thanks for making this recipe as a regular for your family! Thanks again for your wonderful feedback. Best, WoonHeng