Char Kway Teow is one of those noodle dishes that has variations all over Singapore and Malaysia where no one dish is quiet the same but sometimes it can be a little hard to pinpoint the difference. It has always been a favourite of mine, so when I came across this recipe last week I just had to give it a shot. Unfortunately I noted down the website a little skewy (possibly due to the fact that I think I was reading a translation) so I can't give credit where it's due, but we'll go from here.
This was definitely tasty enough, but my version was nowhere near the street versions I experienced in Penang or Singapore. To be fair I couldn't I couldn't get my hand on any cockles, and I used shrimp in place of prawns as we'll be using prawns in a Southern dish later in the week. I also substituted spring onions for Chinese chives due to availability which would have affected the flavour somewhat.
This wasn't really a success so next time (and there will be a next time) I can only hope for improvement!
· 12 shelled prawn, submerge in ice cold water plus 2 tablespoons sugar for 30 minutes
· 1 pound fresh flat rice noodles, completely loosened and no clumps
· 1 pound (weight with shell) bloody cockles, shelled
· a bunch of fresh bean sprouts, picked, rinsed with cold water and drained
· a bunch of Chinese chives, 1 inch of the bottom section removed and cut into 2-inch lengths
· 3 cloves garlic, minced finely
· 4 tablespoons oil for frying
Chili Paste
· 1 ounce dried red chiles, seeded and soaked in water
· 2 fresh red chilies, seeded (I kept some seeds in for more heat)
· 3 small shallots, sliced
· 2 cloves garlic, sliced (optional)
· 1 teaspoon oil
· A pinch of salt
Sauce
· 5 tablespoons light soy sauce
· 1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
· Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 2 dashes white pepper powder
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Set aside. Blend all the ingredients of the chili paste in a mini food processor until fine. Heat up a wok with 1 teaspoon oil and fry the chili paste until fragrant. Dish out and set aside. Clean the wok thoroughly and heat it over the highest heat your stove allows until it starts to smoke. You will be cooking with this high flame throughout the entire cooking time.Put 2 tablespoons oil into the wok and add half the portion of chopped garlic. Do a quick stir. Transfer six prawns out of the ice water into the wok. Stir quickly with the spatula until the prawn starts to change color. Add half the bean sprouts into the wok. Immediately follow with half portion of the flat noodles.
Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture into the wok and stir vigorously to blend well. Push the noodles to one side and add a little oil on the empty area. Crack an egg on it. Break the egg yolk and stir a little to blend with the egg white. Flip the noodles over to cover the egg and wait for about 15 seconds.Add about 1/2 tablespoon of chili paste (add more if you like it spicy) and half the cockles into the wok. Continue to stir-fry, making sure the egg is cooked through. This should take just a few seconds over high heat. Add in half of the chives. Do a couple of quick stirs, dish out and serve immediately. Repeat to make a second serving.
This was definitely tasty enough, but my version was nowhere near the street versions I experienced in Penang or Singapore. To be fair I couldn't I couldn't get my hand on any cockles, and I used shrimp in place of prawns as we'll be using prawns in a Southern dish later in the week. I also substituted spring onions for Chinese chives due to availability which would have affected the flavour somewhat.
This wasn't really a success so next time (and there will be a next time) I can only hope for improvement!
· 12 shelled prawn, submerge in ice cold water plus 2 tablespoons sugar for 30 minutes
· 1 pound fresh flat rice noodles, completely loosened and no clumps
· 1 pound (weight with shell) bloody cockles, shelled
· a bunch of fresh bean sprouts, picked, rinsed with cold water and drained
· a bunch of Chinese chives, 1 inch of the bottom section removed and cut into 2-inch lengths
· 3 cloves garlic, minced finely
· 4 tablespoons oil for frying
Chili Paste
· 1 ounce dried red chiles, seeded and soaked in water
· 2 fresh red chilies, seeded (I kept some seeds in for more heat)
· 3 small shallots, sliced
· 2 cloves garlic, sliced (optional)
· 1 teaspoon oil
· A pinch of salt
Sauce
· 5 tablespoons light soy sauce
· 1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
· Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
· 2 dashes white pepper powder
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Set aside. Blend all the ingredients of the chili paste in a mini food processor until fine. Heat up a wok with 1 teaspoon oil and fry the chili paste until fragrant. Dish out and set aside. Clean the wok thoroughly and heat it over the highest heat your stove allows until it starts to smoke. You will be cooking with this high flame throughout the entire cooking time.Put 2 tablespoons oil into the wok and add half the portion of chopped garlic. Do a quick stir. Transfer six prawns out of the ice water into the wok. Stir quickly with the spatula until the prawn starts to change color. Add half the bean sprouts into the wok. Immediately follow with half portion of the flat noodles.
Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture into the wok and stir vigorously to blend well. Push the noodles to one side and add a little oil on the empty area. Crack an egg on it. Break the egg yolk and stir a little to blend with the egg white. Flip the noodles over to cover the egg and wait for about 15 seconds.Add about 1/2 tablespoon of chili paste (add more if you like it spicy) and half the cockles into the wok. Continue to stir-fry, making sure the egg is cooked through. This should take just a few seconds over high heat. Add in half of the chives. Do a couple of quick stirs, dish out and serve immediately. Repeat to make a second serving.
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