penang-style stir-fried noodles | char kway teow

The autumnal weather in Sydney makes me long for the endless humid days of Asia. Flicking through the photographs we took in Malaysia last year, Christopher and I reminisce about all the fabulous food we ate there. It inspires us to walk down to Paddy’s market despite dark looming clouds and pick up a few ingredients for lunch.

Amongst the vegetables and fruit stalls there are bags of fresh flat rice noodles. We decide on lunch – smoky stir-fried char kway teow we ate in Penang. We pick up some fresh prawns and bean sprouts before returning to rustle up the noddles, serving it on a piece of banana leaf for added authenticity.

ingredients

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 small garlic clove, chopped
2 teaspoons chilli prawn paste
3 fresh prawns, shelled
150g cooked flat rice noodles
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
½ teaspoon fish sauce
1 egg, beaten
70g bean sprouts
1 spring onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Look for the fresh flat rice noodles in Chinese supermarkets. The noodles require separating from each other by gently pulling them apart. Prepare all the ingredients before any stir frying takes place as it all happens very quickly. Fry individual portion for best result.

Heat the wok on a high heat before adding the oil. If you are using a non-stick work then omit this step.

Drizzle the oil into the wok, remove from the heat and add the garlic. Toss for a few seconds, return to the heat and stir in the chilli paste. Cook for a few seconds until the chilli and garlic are fragrant, take care not to burn. Add the prawns and toss until opaque and just cooked, about a minute.

Remove the wok from the heat then add the noodles, both soy sauces and fish sauce. Return to the heat and toss the mixture keeping the contents moving constantly in the wok. Make a well in the middle of the noodles and add the egg. Stir until scrambled and mix with the noodles.

Finally add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for 30 seconds, they should still be crunchy. Check for seasoning and sprinkle with spring onions before serving. It’s as simple as that.

Serves: 1
Cooking time: 5 mins