andrejthechef
SingaporeNoodlesLunch

Char Kway Teow

Flat rice noodles stir-fried hard and fast over high heat with dark soy, egg, Chinese sausage and bean sprouts. Wok heat is the whole point.

prep
20 min
cook
15 min
total
35 min
serves
2
level
medium
Char Kway Teow, a Singapore hawker classic

Char kway teow means "stir-fried flat noodles," and the stir-fry part is not a formality. This dish is cooked over the hardest heat a hawker stall can produce, which is most of why it tastes different from anything you can make on a normal home stove, but a hot wok and small batches get you close.

Everything happens in under five minutes once the wok is hot. Get your garlic, sausage, prawns, egg and noodles all measured and within reach first, because there is no pausing to chop once you start.

Part of our 20 best Singapore recipes list.

method

  1. Have every ingredient prepped and within arm's reach before you start. This dish moves fast and there is no time to chop once the wok is hot.

  2. Heat the oil in a wok over the highest heat your stove has. Add the garlic and sausage and stir-fry for 1 minute, until fragrant.

  3. Add the fish cake and prawns and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the prawns turn pink.

  4. Push everything to one side, crack in the eggs, and let them set for a few seconds before breaking them up and mixing through.

  5. Add the noodles, dark soy, light soy and chili paste if using. Toss constantly and vigorously for 2 to 3 minutes, letting the noodles catch slightly at the edges of the wok.

  6. Add the bean sprouts and chives and toss for 1 more minute, just until the sprouts soften slightly but still have crunch. Serve immediately.

chef's tips

  • High heat is not a suggestion here, it is the whole technique. A weak flame steams the noodles instead of frying them, and you lose the smoky edge the dish is named for.
  • Cook this in small batches. A crowded wok cannot hold its heat, which is why hawker stalls make one plate at a time.
  • Fresh cockles are traditional in many stalls, added at the very end just to warm through, if you can find them.
  • Have everything chopped and lined up before the oil goes in. You will not have time to prep mid-cook.