Chinese rice crispy is an old time treat that you don’t see very often anymore. Back in the old days when life was tough and people were poor, it was very common as people could make this snack with just rice and maltose.
American rice crispy uses puffy “rice” (which I think is made into shape of rice) whereas Chinese rice crispy traditionally is made with real individual rice– raw rice is toasted in dry clean wok, stirred constantly until it puffs up and fragrant. Unfortunately it’s very hard to buy real puffed rice nowadays, so people just use the “fake rice” to made this snack unless you want to toast the rice yourself. The main difference between the two is texture– puffy fake rice has lots of tiny air pocket in it, when it comes in contact with water it will soften quite fast and eventually becomes a mush. Real puffy rice, because it comes from each individual grain, has a more dense interior texture. It has a slightly harder crunch than the fake ones, and it also withstands the crunch and maintain the shape much longer when it is soaked in water. Real puffy rice also has fragrance of rice which can’t be found in fake puffy rice.
I was able to make this traditional Chinese snack after I found my real puffy rice alternate (see picture below) in Chinese grocery store– the product is from Taiwan and the rice snack is shaped into square pieces. This is the same kind of crispy rice that is added to the top of “Sizzling Rice Soup” in some Chinese restaurants. I’ve got main ingredient covered, the rest is just playing with flavors.
Chinese Rice Crispy (Fried Shallot Flavor) 油葱酥爆米/米香 (makes one large baking pan, about 64 pieces)
Ingredients:
3 packs (7oz each) of rice snacks– see picture below
4 tbsps homemade fried shallots– slightly crumble with the back of a spoon– see note below
4 tbsps peanuts– toasted, chop slightly
4 tbsps sesame seeds– toast in a dry clean wok until pale golden
4 tbsps green onions– chop finely, then stir in a dry clean wok until it’s dry
Syrup:
10 tbsps packed brown sugar
5 tbsps sugar
5 tbsps maltose– see note below
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsps water
Method:
- Prepare puffy rice: work in batches, carefully break the rice snack pieces with your fingers to almost individual grains. It’s okay to have small lumps of pea size. I like to break them in a ziplock bag so the rice won’t fly everywhere. You can also use a knife to gently smack the pieces in order break them apart.
- Combine rice, shallots, sesame seeds, peanuts and green onion. Place in the oven at the lowest temperature to keep warm. This is to make the syrup coating process easier and minimize the chance of syrup harden up when it comes in contact with warm things.
- Place all syrup ingredients in a large wok and turn heat to medium high. Once the sugars dissolve then stir slightly to combine. Let it cook for a few minutes until the syrup bubbles becomes small. To check if it is done, drop a few drops of syrup into a bowl of room temperature water. If the droplets shape up and feel soft to the touch then it’s done.
- Turn stove heat to low. Add in rice, shallots, sesame seeds, peanuts and green onions. Using two spatulas, quickly toss around so the syrup coat well. Quickly transfer coated rice to a large baking pan lined with parchment paper (make sure to place a kitchen towel under the pan– see note below). The mixture should feel warm to the touch.
- Use both hands, quickly spread out the rice to form an even layer and fill any gap with rice. Then use a rolling pin to roll the surface to press down (so the rice slab is packed down further). While the slab is still warm, cut into 3×2 inch pieces. Then break apart when it cools slightly. Store in air tight container immediately.
Regina’s Note:
- Homemade Fried Shallots: Homemade fried shallots is the best and very aromatic, and store bought versions just can’t compare. My family loves fried shallots so I always make some and keep it handy for food toppings. If you use store bought fried shallots, the shallot aroma is barely there so it may affect the flavor of rice crispy.
- Maltose: After you spoon out maltose from its container, wet your fingers with water then pull the maltose away from the spoon to release it.
- The syrup gets thicker and sticky when it cools, therefore it, and everything it comes in contact with, must at least be warm to maintain the free flow stage so the rice can be coasted evenly.
- The reason for placing a kitchen towel under the baking pan is that it serves as an insulation, to keep the pan warm and also preventing coldness of the kitchen counter/ table penetrating to the pan. By doing so you will have more time to shape the rice and cut into pieces before the rice crispy hardens.
- Always cut rice crispy when it’s still warm but do not separate the pieces. When rice crispy hardens, run the knife along the cut line again to cut off completely. If you separate the pieces when it’s still warm some pieces may be out of shape. And if you make the first cut after it cools completely, you won’t get a clean cut line and the rice crispy will break easily.
Queen of the Chennaults 