Char Kuey Teow most directly translates to “stir-fried flat rice noodles,” and it’s a unique twist on traditional stir-fry. Loaded with tender cooked prawns and flavorful savory Chinese sausage, Char Kuey Teow is saturated in a deeply tangy and umami sauce carried in every bite of tender noodles. With plenty of crunch from the bean sprouts and spice from homemade chili paste, this dish has everything you could want from one dish. Best of all, it all comes together in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
For the chili paste:
- 1 ounce red chilies, seeded, dried, and soaked in water
- 2 red chilies, seeded
- 3 small shallots or pearl onions, peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- salt, to taste
For the sauce:
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ground pepper powder, to taste
For the main course:
- 4 tablespoons and 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped and divided
- 12 prawns, shelled and submerged in a mixture of ice-cold water and 2 tablespoons sugar for 30 minutes, divided
- 2 Chinese sausages, diagonally sliced and divided
- 1 bunch bean sprouts, rinsed with cold water, drained, and divided
- 1 pound flat rice noodles, completely loosened and no clumps, divided
- 4 large eggs
- 1 pound bloody cockles, extracted from shell and divided
- 1 bunch Chinese chives, cut into 2 inch lengths with 1-inch of the bottom discarded and divided
Directions
Step 1 –Using a food processor or blender, mix together the soaked red chilies, the unsoaked red chilies, the shallots, 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, and the salt until finely processed.
Step 2 –Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a wok.
Step 3 –Stir-fry the paste until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 4 –Transfer the paste from the wok and set it aside.
Step 5 –Whisk together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce, salt, and pepper together until the sugar dissolves.
Step 6 –Clean out the wok and heat it over high heat.
Step 7 –Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the wok and 1/2 the chopped garlic.
Step 8 –Add 6 prawns and half the sliced sausages to the wok, cooking until the prawns begin to darken and the sausage is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 9 –Add half the bean sprouts and 8 ounces of the flat noodles.
Step 10 –Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce and stir vigorously.
Step 11 –Using a spatula, push the noodles to one side of the wok.
Step 12 –Add a teaspoon of oil and crack 2 of the eggs.
Step 13 –Break up the egg yolks and combine them with the egg white.
Step 14 –Stir the egg with the noodles.
Step 15 –Add 1/2 tablespoon of the chili paste and half the cockle clams into the wok, stirring until combined thoroughly.
Step 16 –Add 1/2 of the chives.
Step 17 –Stir a few more times and remove the stir-fry from the wok.
Step 18 –Repeat the cooking process with the remaining olive oil, garlic, prawns, sausages, bean sprouts, rice noodles, cockles, and chives.
Step 19 –Serve hot!
