19 Feb Recipe: Char Kway Teow (Malaysian Hawker Fried Rice Noodles)

My goodness, it’s been a busy few months since I last wrote! Between doing hands-on cooking events for 600 and a research trip to Malaysia, time has just flown by. Now settling in for the start of another big conference season, so just time to squeeze out a quick one…

Following on our trip to Malaysia in preparation for a possible food tour with the talented Wanitha Tanasingam as our guide, I thought it would be appropriate to give you the recipe for a signature dish from Penang, one that is a huge favourite in our Street Food: Malaysian Hawker cooking class. What is interesting about this dish, like Malaysian food in general, is the interplay of cultural influences that created it. In this case, the Chinese technique and ingredients are married with Malaysian sambal.

Note from Wanitha: This award winning recipe originated in the street stalls in Penang, my birthplace.

Char Kway Teow

(Fried Rice Noodles)

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

½ tbsp chilli paste (or to taste)

1 lup cheong (Chinese sausage)

75 gm char siu (barbecued red pork)

200 gm raw prawns

35 gm fish cakes

35 gm fish balls

350 gm kway teow (rice noodles)

1½ tbsp light soy sauce

½ tsp dark soy sauce

½ cup stock (or water)

2 eggs, beaten

4 sprigs chives

1 cup bean sprouts

1 tbsp fried shallots

1 tsp sesame oil