Name: Char Kway Teow (Malaysian Stir-Fried Noodles)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients: 1/4 cup (60 ml) light soy sauce; 1 1/4 teaspoons dark soy sauce; 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce; 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce; 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume; 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper; 1/4 cup (60 ml) lard, homemade or store-bought, divided, see notes; 1 link Chinese sausage (1 3/4 ounces; 50 g), such as lap cheong, thinly sliced at a diagonal, divided; 2 ounces (57 g) Chinese-style fish cakes, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces, divided (see notes); 8 medium (36/40 to 41/50) shrimp (about 1 pound; 454 g), shelled and deveined, divided; 3 medium cloves garlic (1/2 ounce; 15 g), finely chopped, divided; 4 teaspoons Chinese-style minced preserved radish, such as chai poh (菜脯), divided (optional); 1 pound (454 g) fresh flat-rice noodles, such as kway teow (粿條), divided, see notes; 1 cup mung bean sprouts (about 3 1/4 ounces; 90 g), divided; 4 teaspoons sambal belacan, sambal oelek, or preferred chile paste (about 1 1/2 ounces; 40 g), divided; 4 teaspoons (20 ml) neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable, divided; 4 duck eggs (preferable) or chicken eggs, divided, see notes; 1/4 cup Chinese chives (about 1 1/2 ounces; 40 g), stems removed and cut into 2-inch pieces, divided; 4 teaspoons crispy pork cracklings, such as chu yau char (猪油渣), divided (optional)

Char Kway Teow (Malaysian Stir-Fried Noodles)

Char kway teow—smoky, savory flat rice noodles stir-fried with seafood—is an iconic Malaysian dish. Here's how to recreate it at home.

17 min total 5 min prep 12 min cook 4 462 cal

Instructions

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1 In a small bowl, whisk light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, salt, sugar, and white pepper to combine, stirring well until salt and sugar are dissolved. Set aside.
2 Set a wok over high heat. When wok begins to smoke, add 1 tablespoon of lard, along with 1/4 of the Chinese sausage, a 1/4 of the fish cakes, 1/4 of the shrimp, a 1/4 of the minced garlic, and 1/4 of the preserved radish, if using. Cook, stirring regularly with a metal wok spatula, to stir-fry ingredients, about 10 seconds. Let the ingredients rest until slightly charred, 5 to 10 seconds. Stir-fry to mix, another 10 seconds, then let the ingredients sit for another 5 seconds. (This stir-fry and resting cycle will continue throughout most of the cooking process.)
3 Add 1/4 of the rice noodles and 1/4 of the bean sprouts, along with 2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture and 1 teaspoon sambal belacan. Cook, stir-frying and tossing ingredients, 10 seconds, then let rest until slightly charred, 5 seconds. Repeat stir-frying and resting 1 to 2 more times, until noodles and ingredients are evenly coated in the sauce and sambal belacan.
4 Move cooked noodles to one side of the wok. On the empty side, add 1 teaspoon neutral oil and heat until it just shimmers. Crack 1 egg into the oil and, using the tip of the spatula, scramble the egg until cooked, about 10 seconds. Let egg rest for about 5 seconds, then fold eggs into cooked noodles, along with 1/4 of the Chinese chives and 1/4 of the crispy pork cracklings. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10 seconds, then let rest 5 seconds. Repeat stir-frying and resting until noodles are nicely browned and charred but not burned, 4 to 5 more times. (If using a blowtorch for additional wok hei, hold flame 2 to 3 inches above skillet while stirring constantly, until oil combusts and imparts a smoky aroma, about 30 seconds.)
5 Transfer to a plate. Repeat steps 2 to 4 with remaining ingredients.