Penang Char Kuey Teow

Char Kuey Teow (1 Apr 2012)

My love affair with Penang hawker food started when I was a little girl. I recall sitting in a small hut, having my first bowl of Penang laksa with a view of Kek Lok Si temple. Later that day, I seated again in another small shop somewhere on McAlister Road, waiting for what felt like ages for another plate of delicious fried Char Kuey Teow. That was my earliest recollection of my Penang trips- hopping from one place to another, sitting and waiting and eating, over and over again! 

As I grew older, I understood what the fuss was about. Even 30 years back, my parents had brought me to the same stalls that I try to bring my children to recently. Small windy paths and dirty alleys weren't my children's cup of tea but the food sure changed their mind! All that wonderful Penang Laksa, Prawn Mee, Char Kuey Teow, Penang Lobak, Nasi Kandar, Kuey Teow Th'ng - there's just not enough time to try everything! No wonder Penang is listed as one of the top 10 greatest street food cities in the world!

My hubby misses his Penang Char Kuey Teow so much that his missus had to do something about it! The ingredients were simple enough but to make it as authentic as it can be, I bought duck eggs instead of chicken eggs this time.

Verdict: The family thoroughly enjoyed my Char Kuey Teow. If anything was missing, it was the MSG & lard!

Penang Char Kuey Teow Recipe (for 1 person)

Ingredients:
120gm flat rice noodle/ Kuey Teow
1 tbsp of garlic, chopped finely
1 tbsp of dried chilli paste (optional)
6 thinly sliced Chinese sausage
3-5 prawns, shelled and de-veined 
1/2 cup of cockle, shelled and cleaned
A cup of beansprouts
1/4 cup of chives
1 duck egg





Seasoning:
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
A dash of pepper

Method:

1. Frying a plate of Char Kuey Teow takes less than 5 minutes, so it's best to have all your ingredients ready and at arm's reach. Mix the seasoning in a bowl too.
2. Heat up the wok until smoky hot. Then, add 2 tbsp of oil and garlic. Saute until fragrant.
3. Add prawns and Chinese sausages. Stirfry for 20 seconds or until the prawns turn pinkish. Add chilli paste and fry for another 10 seconds.
4. Add the flat noodle quickly and seasoning. Stirfry vigorously or as my grandma likes to put it "chan the wok" (literally means bash the wok) Do this for 30 seconds.
5. Push the noodle to one side of wok and break the duck egg on the other. Break the egg yolk and give it a good stir.
6. When you see the omelette forming, add the chives and beansprouts to your wok and mix everything well together. 
7. Serve hot!

Yummy!