A New Type of Noodle: Char Kway Teow

200th POST! WOOOOOO!

It’s back to the streets for my last dish from the Thailand/Singapore region. Like the oyster omelet, I’m pulling inspiration for today’s dish, Char Kway Teow, from Singapore’s street hawkers.  Basically stir fried flat noodles, this dish is as quick and easy to make as traditional stir fry, if stir fry is something that you find easy to make. I don’t really. I just can’t seem to get it not soggy but still cooked, but I was ready to give this a go.

While I don’t particularly go for noodle dishes at any point (Moo shu pork all the way!), this reminded me, in theory, of one of my favorite dishes from my favorite UK noodle bar, Wagamama. If you’ve never been, try it next time you’re out and about in London. One of my faves.

Like the oyster omelet, it’s best to get all your ingredients prepped beforehand. This goes fast, and you don’t want anything to burn.

Recipe adapted from Taste.com.au

Serves 4

Ingredients

½ pound chicken thigh fillets, thinkly sliced

1 TB oyster sauce**

1 TB cornflour

2 TB peanut or coconut oil

1 fresh chili, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tsp shrimp paste

10 tiger prawns

1 package flat fresh rice noodles, about 1 pound

1 cup mung bean sprouts

4 shallots, sliced

¼ cup oyster sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

1 lime, juiced

Directions

1. Combine chicken, 1 TB oyster sauce and cornflour on a large plate.

2.  Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add chilli, garlic and shrimp paste, and stir-fry for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the chicken mixture and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until brown and just cooked through. Add prawns and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until prawns curl and change color.

3.  Add the noodles and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until noodles are just tender. Add the bean sprouts, shallots, soy sauce and extra oyster sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until heated through. Taste and season with salt and the lime juice.

4.  Serve immediately.

The lime juice was my addition. Growing up with a key lime tree in my backyard meant that citrus was the final touch to most dishes.

What did I think? It was okay, though to me it didn’t taste much different from the lo mein delivered by the local Chinese takeaway.  Still, not a bad way to add some variety to the week.

**My mom is totally a brand snob about certain things. One of them is oyster sauce. I have no idea why, but she will only use this kind. Problem is, no one sells it any where around me or her. We can find every other sort of sauce with this brand but not oyster. It’s odd. Anyway, here is her preferred brand. If you can buy this around you, let me know from where!**