Char Kway Teow is one of my favorite food in our home. It’s my childhood memories filled with flavors and experience close to my heart. In this post, I’ll share my simple recipe to cook char kway teow, fried flat rice noodles with sweet black sauce and chili.
I lived in kampong Chai Chee, a village in Singapore back in the early 1970s. And I would often accompany my mum to the wet markets. Back then, she’ll order a plate of char kway teow or fish ball noodles for me to eat while she did her marketing. The stall holder would look out for me.
In the old days, the kampong people (village people) were really friendly and they knew my mum well. One thing I remember clearly living in Singapore in my childhood is, the chickens were sold live and the market stall owners would slaughter them for us. Freshly bought chicken. While these days, we buy them from the supermarket. What I miss most with those kampong days is the friendliness of stalls and the community spirit towards the elderly helping each other with no questions asked.
Recipe for Char Kway Teow
Local street food is my favorite especially in Singapore where your meals are freshly cooked on the spot. Your plate of food is piping hot and you can enjoy your meal within an atmosphere where everyone is simply friendly and nice.
When I shifted to Australia, I miss my food. And this is when I ventured further from my everyday cooking Eurasian food to learning to prepare my favorite local Singapore food. This is my style of cooking Char Kway Teow, or fried flat noodles.
Ingredients
- 3 pips garlic minced
- 100 to 200gms fish balls or fish cake sliced
- 500gm Taugeh also known as bean sprouts
- Sea cockles optional (I don’t like them so I exclude them)
- Or you can have it pure veggies
Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Cooking Caramel or dark soy sauce (some people use ABC kecak manis but for me it gives a bitter taste which is not what char kway teow actually taste like.)
- 3 tbsp Chilies (I make my own crispy chilies or my own chili garlic sauce)
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil optional
Method
- Add oil to your wok and make sure it is smoking hot before you start cooking. Years ago when I first ate char kway teow, fried pork lard and its oil was used.
- I first fry my eggs because I love my eggs crispy. Usually it is last to add to this dish.
- Then I add minced garlic.
- Next add sliced fish balls or fish cake and give it a good stir.
- Make sure wok is really hot .. then add your kway teow and stir it through.
- Add your soy sauce and chilli and mix it well.
- Then add your taugeh or bean sprouts.
- Next add cooking caramel.
- The wok must be smoking hot so the cooking caramel can do its magic.
When your kway teow turns into a dark glossy mixture and you are happy with the taste, dish it out. Enjoy!
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