Pinoy Style Char Kuey Teow

Char Kuey Teow is a popular stir fried rice noodles from Singapore and Malaysia. They are the mainstay of those equally popular hawker centers. Char kuey teow is made up of flat rice noodles stir fried with a choice of seafoods, but the main seafood ingredients are prawns or shrimp and clams called bloody cockles. Another important ingredient of char kuey teow is sambal belacan paste, it is a spicy hot paste made up of red chili and toasted krill or small shrimps. Do not worry we are not making one, sambal belacan is now readily available in most Asian stores. There are of course several versions of char kuey teow. They come in different hues of red to dark brown. Most of those stalls at hawker centers claim they have their own secret ingredients. During my working years of stay in Singapore char kuey teow was one of my favorite dish. The char kuey teow I remembered is a bit sweetish, I wanted it also hot and spicy so I used to add more sambal (it is always available as condiment) to my plate of noodles. For my version instead bloody cockles I substituted it with mussels or tahong which is readily available in most places. Mussels are sold on most supermarkets, fresh or frozen they are even available already shelled. I would love to try using clams or halaan also as substitute for bloody cockles I think they are more appropriate. This recipe was requested by a long time reader and a friend from the net. Here is the Pinoy version of char kuey teow.



Ingredients:

1/2 kilo fresh flat rice noodles, pre-boiled as per package instruction
1/4 kilo shelled prawn, blanch, shelled and deveined
1/2 kilo mussel, tahong or clams, halaan, pre-boiled shell discarded
1/4 kilo large size squid, cleaned, sliced into rings
1/2 cup sliced fish cake
1 piece Chinese sausage, slice
2 cups bean sprouts, toge
3-4 stalk chive, cut into 2” length
2-3 piece fresh red chili, sliced
1/2 head garlic, chopped
1 small size onion, chopped
2-3 tbsp. chili shrimp paste, sambal belacan
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. fish sauce, patis
1 tsp. sugar
2 eggs
pepper powder
cooking oil



Cooking procedure:

Heat wok at high heat until it start to smoke, pour 3-4 tablespoon cooking oil, stir in garlic and onion until fragrant. Add in Chinese sausage and fish cakes stir cook for about half minute, while constantly stirring add in the shrimp, mussel and squid, continue for stir cook for about a minute. Add in the sambal belacan, soy sauce, fish sauce, red chili, sugar and a dash of powdered pepper, stir cook for another minute. Stir in the rice noodles stir cook for about half a minute or until evenly coated with the sauce. Now push the noodles to one side and add 1 tbsp of cooking oil on the empty area of the wok, crack the two eggs and lightly beat until cook for about 10-15 seconds. Mixed in the noodles and add the chives and bean sprouts, quick stir cook for about half a minute. Remove from wok and serve immediately.


See other Singapore inspired recipe:
Hainanese, Hainese Chicken Rice
Chili Crab

See other related stirfry noodles recipe:
Seafood Hokien Noodles Stirfry
Egg Noodles with Mushroom
Pinoy Style Pad Thai
Pansit Miki Guisado
Pancit Lucban, Pansit Hab-hab
Bam-e, Pansit Bisaya
La Paz Batchoy, Pansit Batchoy Mami
Vigan Miki