They just don’t make ‘em like they used to. Or so I thought.
These ci fan gao, or “rice hash browns,” as Sarah likes to call them, were part of my childhood—a beloved street food that I bought for just a few cents at a time in Shanghai. It was always a huge treat, because it would take me a while to accumulate enough of those pennies. I was poorer than poor. Even as a teenager, I didn’t even have two coins to rub together most of the time.
On Bill’s first trip to Shanghai back in 1996, I saw ci fan gao being sold on the street, and I was beyond excited. I was jumping up and down in the middle of the street like an idiot when I saw that they were still making them. Bill was appropriately intrigued when he saw my reaction, and he immediately went over to buy some.
We took that first glorious bite, and…disappointment. They looked similar to what I’d had when I was a kid, but didn’t taste the same. Bill looked at me, puzzled. “You must have been really deprived!” he said. Of course, I knew that he was the one who’d been deprived—deprived of tasting the real thing. Two weeks ago, however, we saw this on the menu at a Shanghainese restaurant in Beijing called 石库门 (Shi Ku Men), ordered it, tasted it, loved it. And—re-inspired—we immediately agreed that we had to make it for the blog.
We’ll keep the name “Sticky Rice Hashbrowns,” though. Try them and you’ll see what we mean. It’ll be the best hash brown you’ve ever had…hold the potatoes.
You’ll need:
- 1 1/2 cups of sweet rice (sticky rice)
- 1 cup short grain white rice
- 2 ½ cups water
- 4 oz. ground pork
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 1/3 cup finely chopped scallions
- ½ cup rice flour for dredging
- 4-6 cups peanut oil for frying
For the optional dipping sauce:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced scallion
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili oil or Sriracha (optional)
Rinse your sticky rice and short grain rice and drain excess water. Add 2 ½ cups water and use a rice cooker to cook it. If you don’t have a rice cooker, follow the directions on the package.
Finely mince the ground pork (really make sure it’s mashed up, almost like a paste) and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add ½ tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon 5 spice powder, ½ teaspoon salt and mix until combined. Heat a splash of oil in a wok using high heat, and stir-fry the ground pork, breaking up any clumps, until browned. Keep the pork in the wok and set aside.
When the rice is cooked, take it out of the pot to cool until just warm and transfer to the wok with the pork, add the scallion and ¾ teaspoon salt. Using a spatula, fold and combine the mixture until everything is uniformly distributed.
Line a small sheet pan or shallow casserole dish with plastic wrap. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into the lined pan and coated the plastic wrap evenly. Pour the rice mixture into the pan and use the spatula to spread the rice evenly onto the pan, creating a large rectangular cake about 1 inch thick. You may have to dip the spatula in water to prevent the rice from sticking.
Once the rice rectangle is completely cooled, dust your cutting board with rice flour and pour the rest of the rice flour onto a plate for dredging. Next, flip the rice rectangle onto the board and remove the plastic. Grab a bowl of hot water. Dip your knife in the hot water, and cut the rice block into rectangles, rinsing your knife in the hot water after each cut.
Work gradually and cut a few rectangles at a time.
Dredge them all around with a light coating of rice flour and line them up on your baking sheet.
Make the dipping sauce by combining the ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Heat the oil to about 350-375 degrees and fry the rice sticks in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce, or sprinkle with salt.
- 1½ cups of sweet rice (sticky rice)
- 1 cup short grain white rice
- 2 ½ cups water
- 4 oz. ground pork
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon five spice powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- ⅓ cup finely chopped scallions
- ½ cup rice flour for dredging
- 4-6 cups peanut oil for frying
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced scallion
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili oil or Sriracha (optional)
- Rinse your sticky rice and short grain rice and drain excess water. Add 2 ½ cups water and use a rice cooker to cook it. If you don’t have a rice cooker, follow the directions on the package.
- Finely mince the ground pork (really make sure it’s mashed up, almost like a paste) and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add ½ tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon 5 spice powder, ½ teaspoon salt and mix until combined. Heat a splash of oil in a wok using high heat, and stir-fry the ground pork, breaking up any clumps, until browned. Keep the pork in the wok and set aside.
- When the rice is cooked, take it out of the pot to cool until just warm and transfer to the wok with the pork, add the scallion and ¾ teaspoon salt. Using a spatula, fold and combine the mixture until everything is uniformly distributed.
- Line a small sheet pan or shallow casserole dish with plastic wrap. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil into the lined pan and coated the plastic wrap evenly. Pour the rice mixture into the pan and use the spatula to spread the rice evenly onto the pan, creating a large rectangular cake about 1 inch thick. You may have to dip the spatula in water to prevent the rice from sticking.
- Once the rice rectangle is completely cooled, dust your cutting board with rice flour and pour the rest of the rice flour onto a plate for dredging. Next, flip the rice rectangle onto the board and remove the plastic. Grab a bowl of hot water. Dip your knife in the hot water, and cut the rice block into rectangles, rinsing your knife in the hot water after each cut. Work gradually and cut a few rectangles at a time. Dredge them all around with a light coating of rice flour and line them up on your baking sheet.
- Make the dipping sauce by combining the ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Heat the oil to about 350-375 degrees and fry the rice sticks in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce, or sprinkle with salt.
Mary Ann Passerine says
This looks delicious and would be a great substitute for potatoes (allergies).This is probably heresy to ask, but can this be baked? I remember pseudo “fried chicken” that was rolled in panko (crisp browned in a skillet before) and baked after a light spritz with oil from a mister. I’m trying to avoid deep fat frying.
Judy says
Hi Mary Ann, I think baking will dry out the rice cakes; you should try pan-frying instead of deep-frying.
linda says
hi, Judy:
is it possible to show us the true traditional shanghai sticky rice cake (square) recipe?
really miss the childhood food.
thanks
Judy says
Hi Linda, I will try. In the meantime, please try this recipe––it is like your “childhood food” and better.
Yolly sacmar says
Bravo super nice. Love it.
Judy says
Lovely! Thank you for leaving us your comment.
Wrt says
Interesting idea, but this is not. proper ci fan gao . There should be no meat or chives or any of the other additive you’ve included. And definitely no dipping sauce.
Judy says
Hi Wrt. Yes, the original version is little more than just a fried rice block with some spices. But I had this version in the 石库门 restaurant I mentioned in the post. I really liked it and thought it was a good idea: upgrade the tradition and make it tastier for today’s taste buds.
Eluinn says
I’d recommend adding some seasoning to the dredge flour. .Just some salt and pepper works really well, or a little Five-Spice too!
Judy says
Thank you, Eluinn, not a bad suggestion.
Marita says
Hi !
Do i cook the sticky rice with the white rice together ?? This looks soo yummy!
Judy says
Thank you, Marita, yes, you can cook both rices together.
REA says
Now, this is interesting… My mom makes sticky rice all the time and my nephews and nieces love it. I will have to tell them about your recipe.
http://LivingItUpAlternatively.blogspot.com
Judy says
Hi, Rea, not that many people know about this snack/breakfast from Shanghai, it’s so savory, crunchy and yummy.
Sarah says
Thank you REA!
Chrissy Jee @ The Dumpling Mama says
I’ve never heard of these but have to try making them because they look so delicious!
Judy says
Hi, Chrissy, this is a Shanghainese street food/breakfast. They are fun to make and fun to eat!
drago says
hi
this really looks great
would it help to stick if some starch added?
also sweet rice is not available where I live
Judy says
Hi, Drago, no starch. If you can’t get hold of sweet rice, use short grain rice and make it slightly softer by increasing the water by 10% (slightly more than usual) when cooking the rice. Short grain rice is more starchy than long grain. Just remember to pack the rice tightly when making the hashbrowns. Happy Wokking!!!
Maureen, Milwaukee says
These look so delicious -I plan to try them when visiting family soon-they look like they’d become a favorite appetizer. Two questions: how long did your hash browns take to cook when frying? And I am unsure about the “sweet” rice. In fact, I’ve been hoping your family would do several entries about rice-types, washing versus not, and cooking. It’s a selfish request-I bought a rice cooker and can’t seem to produce anything but sticky rice in it. Maybe “rice cookers” is another requested entry!
Thanks again for another beautiful recipe, and I’m glad that this childhood treat was just as good for grown-up tastes.
Judy says
Hi, Maureen, sweet rice makes everything stick together and has a better texture than white rice in this case. But certainly you can make it with cooked white rice, just make sure you pack everything tight so the rice does not come apart during frying. Fry till golden brown (about 2 – 3 minutes), remember the hash-browns are made with all cooked ingredients so no worries there. Also, we’ll definitely come up with more cooking and kitchen techniques like you suggested (on the rice and rice cooker). Stay tuned!
Susan E Osborn says
Will the logn grain, Thai sweet rice work in this recipe?
Judy says
Hi Susan, my only concern is that its not as “sticky” as short grain sweet rice. That “stickiness” will prevent the rice from coming apart during frying. Just like white rice, short grain is much more glutinous than long grain. I think it’s best to use the short grain sweet rice.
Susan E Osborn says
T hank you, will do as you advise, this sounds like a good breakfast food for me