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A plate of Malaysian charcoal char koay teow with prawns, lap cheong and bean sprouts

Malaysian Charcoal Char Kway Teow

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Malaysian charcoal char kway teow cooked one plate at a time over a hard charcoal fire, with prawns, lap cheong, crispy pork lard and a duck egg. Smoky, glossy and on the table in 20 minutes.

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 serving 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Noodles and protein:

  • 180 to 200 g fresh hor fun or kway teow
  • 5 prawns, deveined, tails on
  • 30 to 40 g lap cheong, sliced
  • 40 to 50 g fish cake, sliced
  • 1 duck egg

Wok and seasoning:

  • 1 tbsp minced garlic or garlic flakes
  • 1 to 2 tbsp pork lard oil, for frying
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp dark caramel
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 pinch Yum Yum seasoning or MSG

To finish:

  • 1 to 2 tbsp crispy pork lard
  • 1 handful Chinese chives, cut into 5 cm lengths
  • 1 handful bean sprouts

Instructions

  1. Get the wok ripping hot over a strong charcoal fire. You want it smoking before anything goes in. Add the pork lard oil and swirl it up the sides.
  2. Throw in the prawns, lap cheong and fish cake. Fry hard for about 45 seconds, just until the prawns turn opaque and the sausage starts to render.
  3. Lift the whole lot out onto a spider or a plate. Leaving it in means overcooked prawns by the end, and rubbery prawns ruin the plate.
  4. Add the kway teow to the empty wok. Let it sit for a few seconds before you move it so the noodles catch and blister.
  5. Add the minced garlic and toss until it smells sweet, about 15 seconds. Garlic burns fast on charcoal, so keep everything moving now.
  6. Pour in the dark soy sauce and dark caramel. Toss until every noodle carries colour and there are no pale patches left.
  7. Return the prawns, lap cheong and fish cake to the wok and fold them through the noodles.
  8. Season with the sugar, oyster sauce and Yum Yum seasoning. Toss hard, scraping the base so the sauce catches rather than steams.
  9. Scatter in the crispy pork lard and toss it through. This is the crunch that separates a hawker plate from a home one.
  10. Push the noodles up one side of the wok and crack the duck egg onto the bare metal. Let it set for a few seconds before you break it.
  11. Scramble the egg roughly, then drag the noodles back over it so the curds coat the kway teow rather than sitting in one lump.
  12. Add the Chinese chives and bean sprouts. Toss over maximum charcoal heat for 10 to 15 seconds, then plate immediately while it is still smoking. The sprouts should stay squeaky.

Notes

  • Charcoal is doing real work here. A gas burner will still make a good plate, but the smoky edge that defines char kway teow comes from the wok sitting directly on hard charcoal heat.
  • Use fresh kway teow if you can find it. Loosen the strands with your hands before they hit the wok so they do not tear or clump.
  • Duck egg is traditional and richer than hen egg. A large hen egg works, it is just a little less custardy.
  • Dark caramel and dark soy are not interchangeable. The caramel brings colour and a faint bitterness, the soy brings salt.
  • Cook one plate at a time. Doubling the batch drops the wok temperature and you end up steaming the noodles instead of frying them.
  • Author: Vincent Yeow Lim
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stir Fry
  • Cuisine: Malaysian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 plate

Find it online: https://dimsimlim.com/malaysian-charcoal-char-kway-teow/