This Fast and Flavorful Noodle Stir-Fry Is a Malaysian Street Food Icon

This Fast and Flavorful Noodle Stir-Fry Is a Malaysian Street Food Icon

from seriouseats.com
Lunch
17 min
4 servings
462 kcal / serving

Char kway teow—smoky, savory flat rice noodles stir-fried with seafood—is an iconic Malaysian dish. Here's how to recreate it at home.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cuplight soy sauce
  • 1 ¼ teaspoonsdark soy sauce
  • ½ tablespoonoyster sauce
  • ½ tablespoonfish sauce
  • ½ teaspoondiamond crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume
  • ¼ teaspoongranulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoonground white pepper
  • ¼ cuplard, homemade or store-bought, divided, see notes
  • 1link chinese sausage (1 3/4 ounces; 50 g), such as lap cheong, thinly sliced at a diagonal, divided
  • 2 ounceschinese-style fish cakes, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces, divided (see notes)
  • 8 mediumshrimp (about 1 pound; 454 g), shelled and deveined, divided
  • 3 mediumcloves garlic (1/2 ounce; 15 g), finely chopped, divided
  • 4 teaspoonschinese-style minced preserved radish, such as chai poh (菜脯), divided (optional)
  • 1 poundfresh flat-rice noodles, such as kway teow (粿條), divided, see notes
  • 1 cupmung bean sprouts (about 3 1/4 ounces; 90 g), divided
  • 4 teaspoonssambal belacan, sambal oelek, or preferred chile paste (about 1 1/2 ounces; 40 g), divided
  • 4 teaspoonsneutral oil, such as canola or vegetable, divided
  • 4duck eggs (preferable) or chicken eggs, divided, see notes
  • ¼ cupchinese chives (about 1 1/2 ounces; 40 g), stems removed and cut into 2-inch pieces, divided
  • 4 teaspoonscrispy pork cracklings, such as chu yau char (猪油渣), divided (optional)

Directions

  1. 1

    In a small bowl, whisk light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, salt, sugar, and white pepper to combine, stirring well until salt and sugar are dissolved. Set aside.

  2. 2

    Set a wok over high heat. When wok begins to smoke, add 1 tablespoon of lard, along with 1/4 of the Chinese sausage, a 1/4 of the fish cakes,  1/4 of the shrimp, a 1/4 of the minced garlic, and 1/4 of the preserved radish, if using. Cook, stirring regularly with a metal wok spatula, to stir-fry ingredients, about 10 seconds. Let the ingredients rest until slightly charred, 5 to 10 seconds. Stir-fry to mix, another 10 seconds, then let the ingredients sit for another 5 seconds. (This stir-fry and resting cycle will continue throughout most of the cooking process.)

  3. 3

    Add 1/4 of the rice noodles and 1/4 of the bean sprouts, along with 2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture and 1 teaspoon sambal belacan. Cook, stir-frying and tossing ingredients, 10 seconds, then let rest until slightly charred, 5 seconds. Repeat stir-frying and resting 1 to 2 more times, until noodles and ingredients are evenly coated in the sauce and sambal belacan.

  4. 4

    Move cooked noodles to one side of the wok. On the empty side, add 1 teaspoon neutral oil and heat until it just shimmers. Crack 1 egg into the oil and, using the tip of the spatula, scramble the egg until cooked, about 10 seconds. Let egg rest for about 5 seconds, then fold eggs into cooked noodles, along with 1/4 of the Chinese chives and 1/4 of the crispy pork cracklings. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10 seconds, then let rest 5 seconds. Repeat stir-frying and resting until noodles are nicely browned and charred but not burned, 4 to 5 more times. (If using a blowtorch for additional wok hei, hold flame 2 to 3 inches above skillet while stirring constantly, until oil combusts and imparts a smoky aroma, about 30 seconds.)

  5. 5

    Transfer to a plate. Repeat steps 2 to 4 with remaining ingredients.