Chee Cheong Fun (Steamed Rice Noodle Dim Sum Rolls)

Mix the batter:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine white rice flour, wheat starch, tapioca starch, salt, and sugar. Mix well to combine.
2. Add canola or vegetable oil to the dry ingredients, followed by water. Stir until a smooth batter is formed.
3. Let the batter rest for about 15-20 minutes to allow the starches to hydrate and thicken the mixture.

Make the sweetened soy sauce:

1. In a small saucepan, combine tamari, coconut sugar, sesame oil, and vegan oyster sauce. Stir well to combine.
2. Place the saucepan over low heat and gently warm the sauce, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside.

To form and serve:

1. Heat canola or vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat. Thinly slice the shallots and toss them in tapioca starch.  Add the thinly sliced shallots to the hot oil and sauté, stirring until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside on a paper lined plate to wick off extra oil.
2. In the same pan, pan-fry the Youtiao until crispy on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Prepare a steamer over medium heat and lightly grease a pan that fits inside of the steaming tray to prevent sticking.
4. Give the rested batter a good stir with a whisk, and pour a thin layer of batter onto the steaming tray, spreading it evenly to form a thin sheet (a few millimeters deep). If you have a steamer with multiple tiers, and extra pans, make as many of these as you can at the same time. *A little hack you can use here if you are having trouble removing the steamed noodles from the pan is to line the pan with parchment paper which extends up two sides of the pan over the hight of the batter.  You can use the paper to help remove the steamed noodle from the pan.  Just replace it with new parchment each time so it doesn't start getting soggy if you are steaming in batches.
5. Steam the batter over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until it becomes translucent and pliable. Keep in mind that if you are cooking multiple trays at a time, the different tiers will take different amounts of time to cook based on their distance from the steam.
6. Using a dough scraper, or rubber spatula, carefully remove the steamed batter from the steamer and place it on a clean work surface.
7. Place one Youtiao stick on the edge of the steamed batter, trimming off any fried dough that sticks out of the other side. Roll up the steamed noodle sheet tightly to form a rice noodle roll. Repeat with the remaining batter and Youtiao sticks.
8. Cut the rice noodle rolls into smaller pieces, about 2-3 inches in length.
9. Serve the steamed rice rolls hot, drizzled with the sweetened soy sauce, and topped with crispy shallots and minced chives or thinly sliced scallions. Optionally garnish with toasted sesame seeds.