Char Kway Teow
Char kway teow literally means stir-fried rice noodles in Hokkien dialect, spoken by many of the Chinese migrants who settled in Penang and Singapore in the 19th-20th centuries, bringing with them the traditions of fast, high-heat stir-frying. The recipe reflects the dish's humble origins — it was originally a cheap, calorie-dense snack for dockworkers and fishermen, made with pork lard and offal. In Penang, considered the dish's birthplace, competition among street vendors for the best char kway teow is legendary, each having their own secret for wok hei — the distinctive smoky aroma that only appears when the noodles are stir-fried fast enough and hot enough in a hand-hammered iron wok, a skill that takes years of practice to master properly.
Flat rice noodles
Wide kway teow noodles, stir-fried fast over very high heat.
Prawns and sausage
Fresh prawns and slices of sweet Chinese sausage.
Scrambled egg
An egg cracked straight into the wok, scrambled through the noodles.
Intense wok hei
The signature smoky aroma from fast stir-frying in a scorching wok.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 400g kway teow noodles (fresh)
- 150g peeled prawns
- 100g Chinese sausage, sliced
- 2 eggs
- 150g bean sprouts
- 3 green onions, cut
- 3 tbsp sweet soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp shrimp paste (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp oil
How to make it
- 1PREPARE INGREDIENTS: Slice the sausage thin, clean the prawns and cut the green onion.
- 2HEAT WOK: Heat the wok over very high heat until it starts to lightly smoke, add the oil.
- 3FRY GARLIC: Fry the minced garlic quickly, 15 seconds, until fragrant, without burning.
- 4ADD PRAWNS: Add the prawns and sausage, stir-fry for 2 minutes until the prawns change color.
- 5ADD NOODLES: Add the kway teow noodles and soy sauces, stir quickly and continuously over high heat.
- 6MAKE ROOM FOR EGG: Push the noodles to one side, crack the eggs into the empty space, scramble quickly, then combine with the noodles.
- 7FINISH: Add the bean sprouts and green onion, stir-fry for another minute over maximum heat, serve immediately hot.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
