CHAR KWAY TEOW
Prep time 20 mins
Cook 10 mins
Serves 2-4
"Its origin may be in Fujian province, but in Malaysia and Singapore this saucy, charred-noodle dish has taken on something of a cult status," says cookbook author Tony Tan. "Consumed by noodle lovers at all hours, it bears all the characteristics of Chinese cooking – softness, crunch, sweetness and saltiness – and it definitely helps that it’s both economical and a cinch to make. All you need is a hot wok or frying pan or and the rest will take care of itself. Traditionally, blood cockles are featured but I have decided to omit these on account of their dubious freshness in Australia. With a glass of ice-cold beer, char kway teow always reminds me of warm tropical nights and sparkling seas."
3–4 dried red chillies (see note), or to taste, softened in hot water, then sliced
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) fresh flat rice noodle sheets (see note)
2½ tablespoons neutral oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried daikon (white radish), very finely chopped
2 lap cheong (Chinese sausage), sliced thinly (see note)
2 eggs, beaten
200 g (7 oz) green prawns, peeled and deveined, tails removed
2 teaspoons thick dark soy sauce (kecap asin; see note)
1–2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 handfuls bean shoots
30 g (1 oz) garlic chives, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) lengths
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1. Pound the sliced chillies to a paste (see note) with a mortar and pestle. Cut the rice noodle sheets into 1 cm (½ inch) strips and separate gently. If there is too much oil on the noodles, pour hot water over them. (In Australia, most fresh rice noodle sheets are sold refrigerated with oil used liberally to prevent the sheets from sticking.) Drain immediately in a colander and loosen with chopsticks to prevent sticking. Alternatively, you can microwave the noodles for about 2 minutes to soften.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over mediumhigh heat. Add the pounded chilli and the garlic, stir-fry for just 10 seconds – chillies burn easily – then add the daikon, lap cheong and noodles and toss until combined. Push the noodles to one side, then pour the eggs into the centre. Bring the noodles back to the middle and stir-fry with the eggs for 2–3 minutes or until cooked through and everything is steaming and nicely charred.
3. Add the prawns, along with the dark and light soy sauces, bean shoots and garlic chives and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until the prawns are cooked and everything is well combined. Season to taste and serve immediately.
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
NOTES Using sambal oelek is a good substitute for blending dried chillies.
Already-cut freshly made rice noodles are now sold in many Asian grocers. If these are not available, use refrigerated prepack noodles. Bring to room temperature before using; they are brittle when cold. Dried ho fun noodles work well, too.
Lap cheong (Chinese pork sausages) are sold in plastic packets in Asian grocers. If you can’t find lap cheong, crisp-fried spicy chorizo is fantastic as an alternative.
For thick dark soy sauce, look for a Malaysian brand called Cheong Chan, or the Indonesian ABC kecap asin (asin meaning salt).
Images and text from Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class by Tony Tan, photography by Mark Roper. Murdoch Books RRP $59.99. Published with permission.
