STIR-FRIED FLAT RICE NOODLES WITH PRAWNS
This is a very popular dish in Malaysia and my family’s favourite. The high heat the noodles are fried over means they take on a smoky flavour; rumour has it that the vendors don’t wash their wok so the char from previous stir-fries adds to the smokiness. It is difficult to replicate the smokiness of this dish at home but the charring of the onions and noodles helps. In Malaysia we can choose which noodles we want as well as what goes in with them. Each member of my family has their own favourite combination. My dad’s cha keow teow always has a mixture of flat rice and thin rice noodles with prawns, eggs and cockles.
Serves 4
200g flat rice noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4–6 garlic chives, sliced into batons
200g raw shelled king prawns
2 free-range eggs, beaten
2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (optional)
180g bean sprouts
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the noodles for about 10 minutes, or until soft but still with a bit of bite. Drain and drizzle with a little vegetable oil to stop them sticking.
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan over a high heat until smoking, then add the onion and stir them constantly. You want to char the onions but not burn them. Add the garlic and garlic chives. Stir for 1 minute, then add the cooked noodles. Let the mixture sit for a minute over the heat, untouched.
Add the prawns to the wok or pan and stir-fry for 1 minute. Push everything to the edge of the wok furthest away from you and add the beaten eggs to the empty part of the pan. Stir, to cook the eggs a little, then gently fold the rest of the ingredients into the eggs until well incorporated.
Add the sweet soy sauce, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, if using, and stir-fry well for 30 seconds.
Finally, tip the bean sprouts into the wok and work them through the noodles. They cook very quickly and are ready when they have just softened. You want to keep their crunchiness. Taste and add more soy sauce or sweet soy sauce if necessary. Serve immediately.
