Char Kway Teow

5 from 3 votes

Whip up a plate of Malaysian comfort street food with my Char Kway Teow recipe! It’s packed with all the bold, smoky flavors you love, a perfect balance of savory and sweet, juicy prawns, and a nice touch of heat, all tossed with soft yet chewy noodles. It’s super easy to make at home, so you can enjoy this iconic street food whenever the craving hits!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Soaking Noodles Time30

Total Time50

Servings: people

Author: Bea & Marco

Ingredients

Aromatics

½ red onion , minced
4 garlic cloves , minced

Sauce

1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
½ tablespoon less sodium soy sauce
½ tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoon sambal oelek , see notes
½ teaspoon white pepper

Main

10 medium-sized shrimps , peeled and deveined
⅔ cup (90 g) drained canned natural cockles
6 oz (180 g) dried flat rice noodle
2 large eggs
2 cup (120 g) bean sprouts
¾ cup (45 g) garlic chives , that's been cut into 2-inch length

Instructions

Noodles

Soak the noodles in room temperature water until they're pliable, as shown in the instruction photo and video above, for 30-45 minutes. Alternatively, soak them in warm water (not boiling) for 8-10 minutes. The estimated time varies according to the noodles' brands. Drain before using.

Sauce

Mix less-sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, sugar, and sambal oelek, if using, and set aside.

Cook

Cook the aromatics by heating neutral oil in a wok or a wide casserole pan on the highest heat until smokey. Add in shallots, garlic, and cook until they begin to color.
Add shrimps and drained canned cockles. Stir and cook until the shrimps are half-cooked.
Add the noodles, mix everything well, and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften. Pour the sauce in, mix well, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the noodles are softened. Add a splash of water if needed.
Push everything to one side, add more oil, and crack in the eggs. Leave them untouched until they're half-cooked, scramble them, and mix them with the rest.
Add the veggies, mix everything for 30 seconds, and turn the heat off. Adjust seasonings, if needed. Serve immediately!

Notes

Sambal oelek. It's typically on the salty side. If omitting it, use 1 tablespoon each of less-sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce.
Prepare everything before starting to cook. This is a super quick recipe that will take less than 10 minutes to cook. Having everything chopped and measured will make the cooking easier.
Don't boil the dried rice noodles. Soak the noodles in warm or room-temperature water until pliable to avoid them breaking apart and getting mushy when stir-frying, resulting in beautiful, long strands of soft yet chewy noodles.
Use high heat. Even at home, we can make a flavorful and smokey char kway teow! Remember to use the highest heat possible when cooking. It will infuse the smokey flavor and cook everything super fast.
Be gentle with rice noodles. They're delicate and tend to break easily over egg noodles. Limit the tossing and mixing as much as possible. Don't overcook them as they'll turn mushy.
Use a wide pan or casserole pan, if not using a wok. We want a wide surface for all the ingredients to cook over high heat, preventing overlapping as much as possible, which creates steaming and fogginess.
Adjust to taste. Char kway teow needs to have a balance of savory, sweet, and, if desired, heat. Different brands of sauces have various levels of saltiness, so adjust to your taste.

Nutrition