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Shrimp Wrapped in Tofu Skin - A popular and delicious dim sum appetizer made with shrimp and bean curd skin. Get the recipe and make it yourself at home.
Dim Sum Shrimp Wrapped In Tofu Skin
This shrimp wrapped in tofu skin (鮮蝦腐皮券) recipe was supposed to be in my cookbook “Easy Chinese Recipes,” but it was cut out as my publisher thought tofu skin might be hard to get for most Americans, which is true.
As the title suggests, these delicious fried shrimp rolls are wrapped with tofu skin, or bean curd sheet (in Asia), or yuba (in Japanese).
What Is Tofu Skin
Tofu skin is basically the layer of “skin” formed on top of fresh soy milk.
As you all know, the Chinese invented soy milk, tofu, and other tofu-related products, so tofu skin is basically one of the many food products from the magical soy beans.
As I made the tofu skin from scratch this past weekend, it dawns to me just how amazing soy milk is, because of the endless culinary possibilities it brings.
Please check out this post how to make tofu skin, if you wish to attempt it at home.
This crunchy, mouthwatering, and dainty Cantonese appetizer is a must-have for me whenever we go out for dim sum or yumcha.
At the dim sum restaurants here in the United States and Hong Kong, they are usually presented in a bigger rectangle-shaped package, however, I prefer smaller rolls, as pictured here, which is typically found in Malaysia.
How To Prepare Shrimp Wrapped In Tofu Skin
The key to really good Cantonese dim sum is the texture of the filling, in this case, the shrimp.
The best Cantonese chefs treat their shrimp with cold running water for hours that ultimately delivers the bouncy (弹牙) and supple texture in the shrimp.
In my cookbook and on this post “How to Make Shrimp Crunchy,” I share a home remedy that you can apply to make the shrimp bouncy, but it takes some time.
However, there are many chefs who cheat by treating their shrimp with lye water or even borax, because it delivers very fast and amazing results.
I am strongly against these chemicals because if you read the label of lye water, it’s clearly stated as a chemical and some even label it as poison, so I would stay away.
Cooking Tips
(You can read the fact sheet of lye water here.) Traditionally, you can treat these shrimp using the shangjiang (上浆) method, which is coating the shrimp with a mixture of egg white and potato starch.
I prefer my method of double treating the shrimp: first with baking soda, and then with egg white and potato starch.
It works!
Now the secret seasoning to dim sum that tastes like they are straight from restaurants is chicken bouillon powder.
You can get the non-MSG version in the market and use it in this recipe.
This shrimp wrapped with tofu skin is commonly served with a Worcestershire sauce, but you can also use mayonnaise, which is more common in Malaysia.
Either way, these fried shrimp rolls taste so good.
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 104 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Shrimp Wrapped in Tofu Skin
Ingredients
- 8 oz (230g) shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon yellow chives, finely chopped
- 7-8 pieces tofu skin, cut into 6×6-inch (15cm x 15cm) pieces
- oil , for deep-frying
- Worcestershire sauce , or mayonnaise
Seasonings:
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 dashes white pepper powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon potato starch , or cornstarch*
- 1/2 tablespoon egg white*
Instructions
- If you want your shrimp to be bouncy, you can prepare them following the steps in this post: How to Make Shrimp Crunchy. Just adjust the ingredients as needed.
- Cut two-thirds of the shrimp into small pieces and mince the remaining one-third. Mix the shrimp with all the ingredients in the Seasonings.
- If you prepare the shrimp using the method mentioned above, you can skip the last two ingredients (marked *) in the Seasonings, which are cornstarch and egg white. If the filling is loose and not sticky, add more starch to bind it.
- To roll the shrimp, place a piece of tofu skin on a flat surface. Lightly sprinkle a bit of water on it to soften, or wet your hand and rub it on the surface of the tofu skin until it becomes pliable.
- Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling onto the tofu skin. Use a little water to dab around the edges to ensure a good seal.
- Roll up the bottom part of the tofu skin, tucking the shrimp tightly as you go. Continue rolling until you reach the end of the skin.
- Twist both ends of the opening to ensure they are sealed, preventing oil from seeping in during deep-frying. You can wet your hand with water to help with the sealing process.
- The shrimp wrapped in tofu skin are now ready for deep-frying.
- Heat a wok with enough cooking oil for frying. Once the oil is fully heated, reduce the heat to medium and gently drop the shrimp rolls into the oil. Turn them occasionally and deep-fry until they are golden brown.
- Remove the shrimp rolls from the oil and place them on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Cut them in half and serve immediately with Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, or both.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do I need to do anything different if I am using dried tofu and not frozen?
Dried tofu skin? You need to soften it.
Can I air fry these instead?
Should be OK.
This looks awesome!! Thank you for sharing this. Is it better to make this from fresh bean curd skin or dried?
Dried.
Hello Rasa Malaysia/Bee! Thank you for sharing the yumcious recipes! Me lau nuah. Btw, my granny’s method is to season/marinade the prawns with sugar and salt to achieve the bouncy texture; this was for sambal udang, uncertain if it’ll work in deep frying but worth experimenting.
I find egg coating is a bit too heavy for my taste bud. Prefer tempura the oooo la la kind, light and crispy! ?
Sugar and salt don’t work that well to be honest.
Thanks for the recipes and particularly the tip for crisping prawns. I agree with you about avoiding ‘quick fixes’ that do nothing for flavour and can often be achieved some other way, or using a regular food ingredient. However, distrusting lye water because it is a ‘chemical’ is completely illogical and unhelpful. Baking soda is a chemical, and everything else we cook and eat is a mixture (more or less complex) of chemicals. For myself I am guided by how well established an ingredient/food is, and if any problems (other than specific allergies) have been reliably reported. Lye water has been in common use in many cultures for centuries. It is traditionally made from wood ash. The wide use of baking soda dates from the 19th century, and it is made by processing a quarried mineral. I am not aware of any reported ill effects from it though.
Thanks for your information Russell.
Oh yum! My whole family would go crazy for these! Now, this recipe will be one of my favorites.
Is it possible to make these ahead & freeze them? Would you cook straight from frozen?
No, you can’t really freeze this. Make fresh.
nom nom nom nom nom… SO GOOD!
Can we just use the won ton wrapper if we cannot find the tofu wrapper?
Yes you can but not as good.