Char Kway Teow (Penang Wok-Fried Flat Rice Noodles with Prawns)

Name: Char Kway Teow (Penang Wok-Fried Flat Rice Noodles with Prawns)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 27 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: flat rice noodles 300 g; shrimp 180 g; egg 2 ea; bean sprouts 120 g; chives 60 g; dark soy sauce 2 tbsp; oyster sauce 1 tbsp; cooking oil 2 tbsp

Quick answer

Total time: 27 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Penang hawkers built this dish for laborers who needed a cheap, filling plate cooked fast, and its flavor depends on wok hei, the charred breath of a wok heated until it smokes.

Wide flat rice noodles, prawns, egg, bean sprouts and Chinese chives move through the pan in a few minutes, while dark soy and oyster sauce stain the noodles a glossy brown. Drying everything and lining it up within reach before the burner is lit keeps stray water on the noodles or prawns from dropping the wok temperature and steaming the food instead of searing it.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

egg2 ea

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Soak 300 g flat rice noodles in 40 C water for 2 minutes.

Loosen stuck sections gently by hand, then drain well so excess water does not cool the wok and turn the stir-fry into steaming.
2

Pat 180 g shrimp dry, and keep 120 g bean sprouts and 60 g chives within reach before heating.

Once the wok is hot, work continuously because pauses release moisture and soften the noodles.
3

Heat the wok over high heat for 2 minutes until it smokes, then swirl in 2 tbsp cooking oil.

Add the shrimp and sear 30 seconds per side until pink with lightly charred edges.
4

Crack 2 eggs at the side of the wok and scramble for only 15 seconds so large curds form.

Add the drained noodles and toss for 30 seconds, lifting with tongs to coat without breaking them.
5

Drizzle 2 tbsp dark soy sauce and 1 tbsp oyster sauce evenly over the noodles.

Keep the heat high and toss in three 10-second bursts until the noodles turn glossy dark brown throughout.
6

Add the bean sprouts and chives and press them briefly against the hot wok for only 30 seconds.

Plate immediately when the sprouts are slightly translucent but crisp and the shrimp are opaque in the center.