When it comes to Penang hawker food/street food, there are a few dishes that are chart-toppers: Penang Assam Laksa, Hokkien Prawn Noodles, and Char Kuey Teow.
It’s hard to decide which one is the most popular, but if you go to Penang, you won’t—and don’t want to—miss these three stellar hawker food.
Char Kuey Teow is basically flat rice noodles stir-fried with shrimp, bloody cockles, Chinese lap cheong (sausage), eggs, bean sprouts, and chives in a mix of soy sauce.
A great serving of Char Kuey Teow is flavored not only with the freshest ingredients, but equally important is the elusive charred aroma from stir-frying the noodles over very high heat in a well-seasoned Chinese wok.
The mouthwatering aroma is the “wok hei” or breath of wok. If you’ve been to Penang and walk on streets where there are Char Kuey Teow hawkers, you’ll know what I mean.
A great Char Kuey Teow beckons you from blocks away; the tempting aroma fills the air and lure diners in from afar. The very thought of that smell is enough to set my stomach rumbling.
While Char Kuey Teow can be found throughout Malaysia, the Penang version reigns supreme. I’ve heard many stories about tourists from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Australia, and beyond who trek religiously to Penang for a satisfying meal of the dish.
Somehow, Char Kuey Teow from outside of Penang is simply an inferior shadow of the real stuff—lack of wok hei, too dark in color, and/or wrong taste and texture. And that’s the very reason why Malaysians from out-of-state would go to Penang—just to have a plate of Char Kuey Teow.
Char Kuey Teow is one the most requested recipes on Rasa Malaysia. I have readers who’ve been begging me to post my Char Kuey Teow recipe since three years ago.
Great things, especially a perfect recipe, is worth waiting for. Of course I’ve made Char Kuey Teow many times, but I wanted to share the ultimate Char Kuey Teow recipe, and this is it.
So, what are my secrets?
- Get the freshest ingredients—fresh and crunchy bean sprouts, freshly-made noodles, big, fat, succulent shrimp/prawn, bloody cockles (I love my Char Kuey Teow with them, without them, it’s not quite the same!), etc.
- Wonder why the prawn in Penang Char Kuey Teow are always so succulent, juicy, and sweet? I believe some of the most famous stalls treat their prawn with sugar and ice water, or perhaps they are just very fresh.
- Use lard if you can. That’s the secret for the rich silky taste.
- Very hot wok.
- Control your timing of cooking and hence control your “wok hei.”
Without further ado, here is my secret Char Kuey Teow recipe and a detailed step-by-step picture guide that everyone is waiting for.
Char Kuey Teow is seriously scrumptious and I don’t see why it can’t be as popular and well-known as Pad Thai and the likes on the global stage. I strongly believe that one day, the world will discover the delicacy that is Penang’s Char Kuey Teow.
Char Kuey Teow Recipe (炒粿條/Penang Fried Flat Noodles)
Authentic Penang Char Kuey Teow with step-by-step recipe guide. Char Kuey Teow is a famous Penang hawker food. The best Char Kuey Teow recipe on the web.
Ingredients
Chili Paste:
- 1 oz. seeded dried red chiles, soak in water
- 2 fresh red chilies, seeded
- 3 small shallots, peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 pinch salt
Sauce (mix and blend well):
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 dashes white pepper powder
Other Ingredients:
- 12 shelled prawn, submerge in ice cold water plus 2 tablespoons sugar for 30 minutes
- 1 lb. fresh flat rice noodles, completely loosened and no clumps
- 1 lb. bloody cockles, extract the cockles by opening its shell
- 2 Chinese sausages, sliced diagonally
- 1 bunch fresh bean sprouts, rinsed with cold water and drained
- 1 bunch Chinese chives, removed about 1-inch of the bottom section and cut into 2-inch lengths
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
Directions
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1Grind all the ingredients of the chili paste using a mini food processor until fine. Heat up a wok with 1 teaspoon oil and stir-fry the chili paste until aromatic. Dish out and set aside.
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2Clean the wok thoroughly and heat it over high flame until it starts to smoke. Add 2 tablespoons oil/lard into the wok and add half the portion of chopped garlic into the wok and do a quick stir.
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3Transfer six (6) prawn out of water and half the sausage slices into the wok. Make a few quick stirs with the spatula until the prawn starts to change color and you smell the aroma of the Chinese sausage.
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4Add half the bean sprouts into the wok.
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5Immediately follow by 8 oz. or half portion of the flat noodles.
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6Add 2 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce into the wok and stir vigorously to blend well. Using the spatula, push the noodles to one side, and add a little oil on the empty area and crack an egg on it. Use the spatula to break the egg yolk and stir to blend with the egg white. Flip the noodles and cover the egg, and wait for about 15 seconds.
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7Add about 1/2 tablespoon of chili paste (if you like it spicy, add more) and some cockle clams into the wok.
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8Continue to stir-fry and make sure the egg is cooked through. Add chives, do a couple of quick stirs, dish out and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Repeat the same and make another serving of Char Kuey Teow using the remaining ingredients. Please take note of the proper sequence of the cooking process. This is how it's done by Char Kuey Teow hawkers in Penang, an art that I love watching since I was a child. Also, a great plate of authentic Penang Char Kuey Teow should be medium brown in color. It shouldn't be too dark with too much dark soy sauce.
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Grant Armstrong
Dear Bee.
Thank you kindly for this brilliant BRILLIANT recipe. This is my all time favourite Asian dish from all surrounding Asian countries (Malaysia/Singapore/Vietnam/Thailand/China et all) I have tasted the Penang version and all other versions of Char Kway Teow; and outside of Penang the Malaysian versions are the BEST. There was but one restaurant in Melbourne Australia that used to make the Penang Version and unfortunately that was 40 years ago. I have just discovered another Restaurant at Heritage Springs Pakenham Victoria that makes a near identical Penang version of my all time favourite dish. Your recipe however, now allows me make this “dish of heaven” right in my home; provided I can get my hands on theFlat Rice Noodles. Love your recipe Bee. I can already taste it and it is not yet in my wok. Many thanks indeed for sharing.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Grant, thanks for your sweet comment. Yes, Penang char kuey teow is the best!
Sharon
Tried many CKT recipes and yours is definitely the best, just like back home. Thank you for sharing.
Rasa Malaysia
All my recipes are good, do try out more recipes: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Victor
This is the BEST. So tasty. The family loves it! Thanks for making it so easy to cook CKT at home!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Victor, thanks so much. Yes this is the BEST Char Kuey Teow recipe you will find online or anywhere else. :)
Mark Maguire
I made this today and it was delicious. I could not get hum in Australia, so I just added more prawn. I researched, and it appears that in 2016 Malaysian authorities were planning on banning cockles in char kweay teow because of overfishing.
I seeded the chillies as per the recipe. Boy that took some time! I’m going to to try and buy seeded dried chillies next time. 2 ounces of dried chillies are needed to get one ounce of seeded…….
I’m also going to wear gloves next time. Four hours later my fingers are still burning despite several scrubs in hot soapy water. Hokkein Mee is next on my list, and I’m collecting prawn heads for assam laksa. Lovin’ it!!
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome Mark. I am glad you tried out the Char Kuey Teow.
Mark Maguire
The other way round. Laksa is next. Collecting prawn heads for prawn mee. Do you happen to know what oysters are used in ‘fried oysters’ also known as ‘oyster omelette’?
Rasa Malaysia
Just small fresh oysters.
Grant Armstrong
G’day Mark,
Mate; if you can get cockles anywhere in Australia (Victoria Preferably) I would be grateful if you cold let me know please. Likewise, the CKT flat rice noodles.
Kindest Regards
Grant
Mark Maguire
OK I give up. What is a scant half teaspoon of Other? Other?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Mark, sorry it looks like my assistant mess up the recipe. It’s salt.
Mark Maguire
Thanks. I later found the recipe corrected. All made sense then. See my separate comments, after I made it today. Great. Better than New Lane….
Rasa Malaysia
I don’t think you can find a better Char Koay Teow recipe online. :)
Mandy
Great recipe.
I don’t have all the ingredients but still turned out well.
Thanks for sharing
Rasa Malaysia
That’s awesome Mandy!
Kausalya
Hi made char kway teow today very delicious easy to follow recipe. Very tasty but didn’t add sugar n pork sausage n cockles. The onions I added gave the sweetness. Otherwise followed the same. Tq.
Rasa Malaysia
That’s great but Penang Char Kuey Teow doesn’t have onions.
Alec Holloway
I have loved Char Kway Teow all my life. Tonight I made it at home in Australia on the wok burner, according to your guidance. I used fish cake, fish balls calamari, roe off scallops and green prawns. I used Lard and cooked a small amount of pork rind finely chopped with the garlic to make crackling (which I think makes it even more authentic) then followed the steps. To say this recipe is superb, accurate and tasty would not do it justice.Look no further, this is it. Took me back to Gurney Drive George Town and I would now be comfortable opening my own stand. Thank you from the bottom of my full belly and I would rate it 6 star if I could.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Alec. Yes this is the BEST Char Kuey Teow recipe you will find online.
Byron Harritt
where might one find a bloody cockle????? don’t think i’d make it,but i’d be willing to try it
Rasa Malaysia
You can find them at frozen section of Asian food stores but if you can’t find them, just skip.
Noorjahan
Tried it today. Turned out great even without the cockles and Chinese sausage. Thank you.
Paul
Super recipes. Best have seen in years. I have tried many and none came out like your kueh teow. One thing. I Blanche prawns 1 minute. Ppraws. Should be cleaned using open hands full of salt and robbing prwns to remove slime and smell. I add a bit of hokkien noodle for colour. I add noodles after treatind them 3 times in hot n cold water. I also add sotong rings cook in hot water until water turns milky colour. (30-45) secs. Adding a bit of peanut powder is OK. Use Mani’s sauce is fine. Next time plz use metric measure s. Your recipes are my final recipes. Thank you for your excellent presentation.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Paul for trying my Char Kuey Teow recipe. Yeah I believe you won’t find another better recipe online than mine. ;)
Liese Ho
Thanks so much for this great reminder! It’s very close to what my beloved grandma taught me – but we’ve just moved countries and I can’t find that recipe book! Our families addition is crispy bits of pork fat, as garnish> oh and i like to pre-cook the lap cheong and use as garnish too – we love all things cripsy ;) in our family!
beth
Hi how much noddles for 4 adults?
beth
Hi for the chinese sausages u used in char kuey teow do u hv to pre steamed it? I was told by mom to steam and peel the outer skin? (coz the outer skin is just fat that they used to stuff the meat). I guess it can be eaten. Many years ago, some used like plastic to wrap the meat for sausages. Hope u can share your advice
Rasa Malaysia
There is no need to steam or peel the skin. I just sliced them and then cooked them with the CKT.
julie mullan
Hello Bee
Would love to try out your recipe after sampling CKT in Penang last week. How many servings does your Char Kuey Teow recipe provide please?
thanks
Julie
Rasa Malaysia
A few people, depends on how many plate each person eats. ;)
Jenna
Hi! I’ve had a this (or similar dish) at a local Malaysian restaurant, though it included strips of salt fish (with no sausage or clam/cockles)- was the salt fish an addition, or was that a completely different dish?
Rasa Malaysia
Char Kuey Teow doesn’t have salted fish. I can’t think of any noodle dish with salted fish, rice yes.
Christine B
There is a Malaysian restaurant in Irvine, LA called Belacan. They have pretty good CKT.
They serve a salted fish bee noon (thin rice noodles) that is super authentic. I think it’s a Hokies
dish. The owners Ben and Bee are Hokkien. Lovely couple and lots of very authentic hawker
dishes.
chris
Just want to go back to Penang for this dish, missed the opportunity when I went there in 2005
Steven
This is a damn good recipe. I tried it with ur steps for serving 1. I made the 2nd batch a bit differently. I ‘tumised’ the sambal before the noodles. It tasted better, less ‘raw’ chilli taste. used duck egg. Tasted great thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Steven, yes good idea but in Penang the chili paste is always raw. You probably won’t find another better tasting CKT on the internet. ;)
Gordon
Yeah your recipe is spot on. Made your way is nearly as good as my favourite CKT cooked on raging firewood flames in Seremban by a third or fourth generation hawker.
Rasa Malaysia
Gordon, thanks for trying my Char Kuey Teow recipe.
presa1200
The chinese version is good with lard and the malay version also good without lard. Both have its own unique taste.
Fairuz Hafeez
Very big thanx to tou !
Very details step-by-step : easy to learn.
Hopefully I already saved a thousand bucks for attend Char Kuey Teow classes.
Runamok
First where could I get the noodles? I live in Florida, USA and am not sure what to look for.
Back in the 70’s when I was still in school in KL I used to love eating this at a local stall but I swear I do not remember cockles in it but I remember squid or was it octopus?
You have no idea how much I miss Malaysian food!
Rasa Malaysia
I am not sure about Florida. You should check with your local Thai restaurants or Chinese restaurants I am sure they sell dishes with kuey teow.
ingrid
I miss the sesame oil, is that right?
Do I have to saok the rice noodles in hot water first?
Eryl
Do I soak the cockles in water?
Catherine
Can’t really fidn fresh kueh teow/ rice noodle here.. can only find the blocks kind and takes too much to separate all the strands.. any suggestion to either make the separation faster or alternative noodle? the thai flat noodle possibly? does it taste the same?
Rasa Malaysia
Slice the broad ones thinner and no there is no short cut, it’s hard work. You can just loosen with hands first and then peel off each sheet.
sidney
Hie! This recipe of yours is good for how many pax? Can’t wait to try it.
Reza Esfandiari
Hi, thanks for the recipe. Even though i’m not Chinese, but I love Chinese foods. I want to cook char kuey tewo at home. buy what is the bloody cockles? i can’t find it in my country. can it be replaced another ingredient?
Rasa Malaysia
You can skip it.
Derek Ling
I tried this recipe and followed it to the letter. My dad, who is quite fussy, said it tasted like Penang CKT. I told him I just followed your recipe and was absolutely delighted that he liked it. I have cooked this so many times now. Much respect for the recipe. Peace
Rasa Malaysia
Derek, thanks for your comment. Yes, this is the authentic Penang CKT. :)
Michael
Just like in the streets of Georgetown. The best recipe for CKT I have tried. Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Michael. :)
Sy
Can we substitute the dark soy with thick dark soy (caramel)? I bought a bottle back from Malaysia. How would I adjust the recipe using thick dark soy? I assume the Chinese brand thick dark soy is different than the kecap manis which is more sweeter.
Selvi
Hai thanks for your receipe.can i use hard anodised wok and also soy sause means light soya sause?
tks
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you can use any wok to cook and yes on soy sauce.
Elise
Char Kway Teow is one of my all time favorites. Exactly how long does it take to cook it? I’m kind of a beginner when it comes to dishes like these, so…
Nina
I reside in Sydney and a restaurant chain here serves PAD THAI on their menu. The only problem is, their so-called PAD THAI is obviously CHAR KUEY TEOW and NOT PAD THAT! (I guess they did this switch because it’a a lot easier for Aussies to pronounce pad thai over char kwey teow. Lol) They are clearly miseducating the Aussies, but admittedly, they do make a very yummy and close to authentic char kwey teow. It even has that distinct wok hei flavor. :D
Michelle
Made this for dinner! My boyfriend and I both think it tastes really close to what we have back home! It’s even better than Chinese restaurant ones! Thanks for this :) it tastes like home, just that it’s in London!
Arnab Paul
Excellent recipe. Thank You for sharing. The dish came out really good. This is one of my favorite dishes.
I used some local squid instead of the cockles.
Gwai Lo
The best Char Kway Teow comes from goggle man on Lorong Selamat.
cwk
Hi Gwai Lo,
I’m going to penang soon, can pinpoint actual location of the google man u mentioned?
Mei Su
OMG.. I love your website a lot, the instructions are very clear, thank you so much for sharing this recipe and other mouth watering recipes
PaulieG
Looks good, I’ve tried other recipes with success but I’m going to give yours a go tonight.I lived in Penang (Butterworth to be precise) for 2 years and fell in love with the tucker. Unfortunately even in Aus to get anything authentic Malaysian you more often than not need to make it yourself. Have you tried it with fried belachan in the paste?
Rasa Malaysia
No, CKT doesn’t has belacan. It’s not supposed to have it.
Joyce
Thanks for this recipe! Being an oversea student, I’ve never thought I’ll be able to eat this out of Malaysia let alone cooking it by myself! Though I didn’t manage to get Chinese sausages or cockles, it still tastes nice with bean sprout, eggs and prawns! Love it!
Norris
Hi, Nice recipe. I first tasted Char Kueh Teow in Singapore hawker stalls. Couldn’t get enough of it but have also had a number of variations. Some with beef and green capsicum, some with chicken and prawn. All different but still very tasty.
I have also been cooking CKT at home since I was taught it by a hawker stall owner in Penang following the Commonwealth games in KL in ’98, and I find it curious that the order they cooked it, and which I follow is not the same as yours, although you say it is important.
The spices and garlic were first in the wok, then the prawns and other fishy things (like cockles or squid tubes) and chinese sausage then the noodles, and then the egg and kecap manis. Yes, KM was used in the recipe and yes, it made it sweet, but I quite like that).The sprouts were always added last, and I use the tops of spring onions as the green instead of chives. Just a different flavour but they all taste wonderful in my opinion.
Rasa Malaysia
I am not sure about your order but cockles are never added at the beginning of the cooking as they will be way overcooked. There are no spices used other than the chili paste which is towards the end. Penang version of CKT doesn’t use kecap manis as it’s not supposed to taste sweet. Some hawkers add the bean sprouts towards the end but if you have great wok skills, the bean sprouts would not be overcooked even though it’s added at the beginning.
Gillian
AFter reading Grace Yong’s books about Breath of the Wok and Stir-frying to the Sky’s edge, I tried her special wok seasoning makeover technique five times and finally got ‘wok hei’ in jsut about everything cooked in my wok. I think what’s great is everyone can achieve ‘wok-hei’ cooking at home.
Leena
Hi Bee,
I wash the kuey theow, and it sticks. Shoud I not wash it? Otherwise the char kuey theow tastes good. Thanks for posting the recipe.
Rasa Malaysia
No washing. Use as is as I indicated in the recipe.
Eleanor Hoh
The best CKT I had in Penang street stall was inside some warehouse in Betu Ferringhi in some back street. Do you know it Bee? Another secret the stall shared with us is to make only one portion at a time. It was a mighty long wait cause there were 7 of us but so worth it. Now, we can cook it with your recipe, yay, thx. Glad you mentioned hot wok, my mom would have hers screaming hot with quite a lot of oil. I’ve not made this, kinda intimidating but I’m going to try this.
Eddie Hoos
I have only tried to make Char Kuey Teow once and it was disasterous! lol I had it in a restaurant in San Francisco but it seemed different than your recipe. But my question is: is dark soy the same as kecap manis or do I need something different? Thanks. I am determined to learn as much as I can about Malaysian cooking as I can and want to make this again. Thanks
Rasa Malaysia
There are two types of dark soy sauce, don’t use keycap manis for this recipe it’s not supposed to be sweet.
Eve
I love this receipe. Its so easy and most important its so yummy. My kids love it. I am so glad that this receipe has been shared with us. Thanks. A few query indeed. Why sweet dark sauce is not used in this receipe instead its using sugar? Aside, Do I have to maintain high heat on wok throughout the cooking or I can reduce heat once Kuay Teow is in the wok. I would also like to know how many portion is this quantity of 1lb kuay Teow cater for.
Rasa Malaysia
Penang hawker doesnt use sweet soy sauce and probably use MSG, which I use a little sugar to balance off the taste. Sorry not sure about the portion.
Myriam
Hi Bee and first thanksfor your super-duper website I just found.
Having studied at Penang (USM) for semester, me and my morrocan flatmate fell totally in love with Char Keow Teow ! I think we ate that every 2 days minimum! Of course I generally love the food in Malaysia, the Char Keow Teow remains my all time favorite.
Saddly, there’s 1 malay restaurant in PAris, that doesn’t do my favorite stuff, and the Char Keow Teow in particular.
I tried to cook it a couple of times but it never tastes right. Just ok, but never close to the real thing.
I’ll practice with your recipe, and will go on dreaming about Malaysian Food ! (I miss Malaysia sooo much…)
Myriam
Adam
I dont know how to thank you for that amazing recipes , love you all my heart, i beg you for one more thing if you know of corse ,some penang fried rice recipes, thank you again
European addicted to asian food, good food and that here is definitely good
Yvonne
hello there
I am just wondering what sort of wok do you use?
Thanks
Yvonne
freida.zain
u tear me … i want to cry looking at all this delicious food .. im in far far away land … sob sob
Ty
I have searched everywhere for “the perfect” way to make Char Kway Teow, and this turned out perfectly. I’ve tried to make Char Kway Teow, like 15 times before and they turned out horribly. Following this recipe made a most amazing home cooked Char Kway Teow.
After cooking it several times I began experimenting with non traditional additions. Being portugeuse I introduced some finely chopped linguica and that added a very interesting kick. Thank so much for sharing this recipe!
ping
I have been following your recipes they work wonderfully. It would be great if the number of serving is provided.
Rasa Malaysia
This serves 2 people.
[email protected]
Good point about why isn’t char koay teow as popular as pad thai. I’m surprised people know more about Thai food than Malaysian food since Malaya was a British colony, so the West was more exposed to Malaysian culture than Thai. I guess since Thailand tourism exploded in the last 20 years is probably the reason Thai food is more well known now.
But it’s hard to replicate the char koay teow in Penang. Just ask Singapore…
Rasa Malaysia
This is a funny comment, cracks me up!
Rosa
That is one marvelous dish! So flavorful and beautiful. A combination of ingredients that is impossible to resist.
Cheers,
Rosa
Beth
Hi Bee
Love your recipes. A big Thank you from Australia.
Our whole family LOVES Char Kwey Teow so it is terrific to finally see your recipe. Thanks.
Do you or any readers have tips for a good Malaysian restaurant in the northern LA area? My husband visits there a few times a year and has yet to locate one. He’s missing his Laksa and CKT. :-)
Thanks again
Beth
kslee
hiya, i wonder if you could please tell me how to make the chili paste pls? thank you in advanced!!!
Shirley
Street food is the yummiest, not to mention a great way to experience a country’s culture. I wish I had a wok to try out this recipe!
Jacelyn
i saw somewhere on a cooking show before that restaurants pan fry the kuey teow with some oil to brown it slightly before frying it. This supposedly adds more flavor to it. But i think it was a recipe for “wat tan hor”. Can that be applied to char kuey teow as well? I tried pan frying the kuey teow and the kuey teow stuck together into clumps.
Amelia Chee
Cooked it according to your steps, what can I say? It’s delicious! Technique is indeed the key, thank you, Bee for sharing. To those of you who haven’t try it, this is very worth trying and you won’t be disappointed for sure!
AYSHA
Hi, me again! I went looking for malaysian dark soy sauce but was unable to find it so will use kecap manis instead – would you suggest to adjust any of the other flavourings to make it less sweeter and more smokier? This recipe also requires soy sauce – is that regular (chinese?) soy sauce? Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes on the soy sauce. For the dark soy sauce, just cook it to your taste.
AYSHA
Hi, I love to eat Char Kuey Teow and I really want to have a go at your recipe. I have a few questions regarding some of the ingredients: is it Malaysian soy sauce/dark soy sauce? I don’t think I’ve come across it in london…can I use indonesian kecap manis instead or is that the same thing? Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you can use kecap manis but it will be sweeter.
hanis
looks so good! was just wondering…for the soy sauce, is it kicap pekat or can i use the usual kicap manis/masin…eg. kicap cap habhal type? can’t wait to try it out!
Rasa Malaysia
Kicap manis is fine. Habhal is fine.
aza
wow,uniknya malaysia!!!
Grace
It’s one of the best Malaysian favorites to introduce to our foreign friends
Grace
Thank you very much for this char kwey teow recipe. I have tried many versions, but for me, this one beats them all. The method is so uncomplicated. Prepared it for lunch yesterday….it was a success.
Rasa Malaysia
Grace – thank you. I love my recipe, too. It’s almost like eating at my favorite CKT hawker stall. I will need to fry it with lard the next time. :)
Renatta
Thanks for posting this recipe! I’m a big fan of RasaMalaysia website. I’m an Indonesian but I grew up in Singapore and CharKueyTeow is definitely one of my fave dishes. Now I can try and cook this at home.
Pak
this title caught my attention. Cha Kuey Teow which means fried noodles in Teochew hehe
Su Yee
*Correction* I will NOT trigger the alarm… sorry..
Su Yee
Wah RM!… HOU KHENG ah…!!…. Been craving for CKT, now this post makes me crave for it even more…… :p Have to go find flat noodles and try some wok hei.. just hoping that I will the trigger the smoke alarm.. mISS Penang food so bad.. Thank you so much !!!!!!
Dorothy
Finally I got my Chow Kuey Teow right by following your receipe,thankyou. To John who wants to know how to soften the flat noodles. I put it in the microwave oven for two minutes to soften it. I usually buy a couple of flat noodles and leave them in my fridge for a week and they come out good after warming in the microwave oven.
By the way, I do not receive your receipes anymore. I look forward to your new receipes because they are so good! I am ready to cook something for Chinese New Year from your receipes. A very Happy and Healthy Chinese New Year to you and your crew.
Dorothy
lieya
Our microwave is busted so i left the chilled noodles on top of our car hood for 30minutes or so in the afternoon. Works for me. Made this today but i adjusted the soy sauce mixture to double of every measure except the soy sauce
Mnie
ive watched how the made it hawker style in penang..exactly like yours..
and i believe urs tasted the same :)
man now im hungry!!!!
char kuey teow penang style is the best!! and correct, i wonder y they’re not famous like pad thai..
now i want char kuey teow..hope i can somehow try it here in germany…first need to find the ingredients!!
jaccobs
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I have tried making CKT at home a few times. It comes out pretty OK but still missing something, like you say, the wok hei. Did you cook this at home? I think that it’s not possible to cook as delicious as the hawker stalls because of this missing wok hei. How do you compensate for this? What kind of wok do you use? I guess you use gas stove instead of electric? Just wondering. Thanks for sharing! Love your blog!
Rasa Malaysia
Well, I heat up my wok until it’s smoking hot and yes, I use gas stove.
Christina Kwok
Hi Bee,
thanx so much for this recipe, going to try it out, live in Switzerland and nostalgic too for all sorts of hawker noodle dishes. U’re right about it being as good as if not better than Padthai noodles. Any idea why Malaysian food isn’t as popular or well known around the world as Thai food? What are we missing in our marketing? If I could choose Malaysian, I wouldn’t go for Thai anytime.
z
you’ll probably need a cast iron wok to retain the heat, especially when using electric stoves.
Chris
Thumbs up for this recipe – one of my make at home favorites on our cast iron wok – thanks so much for this insight. It will always be difficult to get the hawker/ restaurant wok hei unless one is kitted out with the high pressure burner – though you can still get good results at home but it has to be gas on full blast. A conventional home gas burner does about 3000 BTU (heat units) some not even that. Looking at the hawker setups they probably do 20,000-40,000 BTU and I know Restaraunt burners do 60,000-90,000 BTU and higher – what a gas bill. We have a Rambo burner ($240) that does 20,000 BTU but we cook outside.
Shan
Thank you ! CKT from home -tried it and LOVED it.
S
Firstly, I absolutely LOVE your website. It has all of the dishes that I loved in Asia. Secondly, Char Kuey Teow is my home comfort from Malaysia and can’t wait to try and make it!!
I’ll definitely be back very soon!
S
http://notjustmedical.wordpress.com
remy
hahahaaaa my mother want recipe of char kuey tiow mmmmm she very happy coz i help her to find recipe.she said this recipe very goooooooooooooood… thank. are u have myspace?mmmmm if u have can u approve me pleaseeeeeeeeeeee
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Remy – thanks for your comment, I have a Facebook fan page at http://facebook.com/asianrecipes.
hazza
Love this dish! But I gotta ask where you got the see hum from .. were you cooking this in Malaysia? I did not think this was available in the west.
Rasa Malaysia
They are frozen see hum from the Asian market in California.
Kent
CKT is my favorite dish when travelling to M’sia / Penang. ! When you refer to the dark soya sauce, is it the thin one (like a regular liquid), or is it thick like kecap manis?
Wilks
I’m pretty sure it’s kecap manis, Kent. :)
minote
Hi! I tried your recipe last night for our dinner. My question is what kind of dry red chilli pepper did you use. I used the one that made in Mexico and I didn’t even use all 1 oz. of it for 2 people since it was already hot. I might be using different kind of dry red chilli pepper than what your recipe called for. And I can’t make it into paste but the CKT or my version of it at least tasted so darn good!
Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
The 1 oz of dried red chili is not for 2 people, if you look at my instructions, I said add 1/2 tablespoon of the chili paste. The chili paste recipe will yield about 4-5 servings of the CKT.
Bren
Girl, if I ate shrimp (and I used to), I’d be all over this. My parents would love this. Maybe I’ll try it for them. looks amazingly refreshing, light and healthy!
food-4tots
Your CKT looks GREAT! Full of wok hei! It makes me craving for one now….!
Street Foodie
I’m arriving in Penang tomorrow and this post has seriously ramped up my excitement! I can’t wait to get stuck in to the street food, any advice regarding best areas etc would be greatly appreciated!
mvnw
I wanted to have a nice char kuey teow since I left Penang almost 2 years ago and I can’t really get one that taste as good as the original Penang Char Kuey Teow from any restaurants and food places in Adelaide. They are all too oily, and I mean really, really too oily, and taste either too salty or burnt, or combination of both. Yuck! Never able to finish even one portion of it. Such a disappointment all the time. But, your post of this char kuey teow doesn’t take that much oil. Even though I am a bit reluctant to cook this dish by myself (because I think they are too much work and I am too lazy, hehehe) I might try to make this dish in the future (when the cooking mood strikes). And I’m sure your recipe tastes yummy… Thanks for sharing :)
Ethelbert
I so LOVE char kuey teow!!! I miss it sooo much! It’s my fave dish. I have tried cooking it few times and each time – disaster, majorly disappointing. I might give this a try, seeing as it’s step by step I should be ok..*fingers crossed*. Thanks for posting this…
peanutts
Yummmmmmmmmm! I love char quey teow!!!. Cant wait to try this at home.
Caroline
Was wondering – where did you buy your fresh kway teow? My cousin lives in Canada and always complain that they can’t find them there.
Judy
they are just a variety of clam, aren’t they? couldn’t small clams be substituted?
mycookinghut
Looks great!!.. however I am not a big fan of cockles so usually go without them.
Kim
Hey, great stuff! Thanks for sharing the recipe, i am a malaysian living in France with constant craving for my kampung food of Penang… I made this dish tonight with your recipe, we all overate! heheh
PT
How did you manage to get some cockles in the state? It’s one of the things that I missed most from home! :) Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
Pei-Lin
Hey!!
Thanks! Thanks! Thanks for sharing THE secrets to good Penang Char Kway Teow!! This post reminds me of my failed attempt at CKT while I was still a student abroad in the U.S. Though back in Malaysia now. I’d still love to give it a shot sometime!!
I absolutely love your blog! Inilah Semangat Malaysia!! Keep it up the wonderful work!! =)
The Sudden Cook
You know here in PJ/KL they hardly ever add lap cheung. Yes…I agree Penang’s CKT the best! The prawns there are huge in comparison to the ones in the Klang Valley!
Andrea (Fork Fingers Chopsticks)
This looks amazing! You are inspiring me in so many ways.
kl_changs
Hor liau, Bee!! Very, very lau nuar already. Hehehe
Have tried the version from the Penang Street Food book. Will try your uber-delicious looking CKT next :P
Did you use frozen cockles?
joyce
i’m gonna try this recipe tonite i know this dishes is really good… thank you for sharing your knowledge to everyone hopefully you get cooking show in foodnetwork …hope somebody sponsor you…i’m gonna be # 1 big fan of your t.v show….more power…god bless you…
joyce,
Su-yin
This looks amazing! I’ve been waiting for your CKT recipe, hehe. :) Love how your blog enables me to eat all the food I miss (and how every single recipe I’ve tried works)! I never eat the “ham” in CKT though, have never warmed to eat. The lap cheong on the other hand is another story…. :P
Thanks for this!
Su-yin
*warmed to it I mean, not eat. Lol.
KLkia
Your CKT looks really authentic and I am sure tastes yummy too. We cannot find cockles in NZ, so will have to find a substitute to try it out. Your step by step approach is definitely idiot-proof and very comprehensive. Thank you so much for sharing.
Judy
I’ve made this several times, but I just can’t separate the fresh rice noodles! The ones I get are usually oiled & folded over each other. But, I just get little shards of them, broken, when I try to separate! WHAT is the SECRET???
JudyC
please give me some help with the fresh rice noodles!
kimberly
Hi there! thanks for your great recipes!! this is so tempting i’d have to try it real soon!
As there are different names for same ingredients, i would like to confirm if small shallots is this? and that the chinese chives is 韭菜 in Chinese Jiaozi?
thank you!
z
Yup, chives = 韭菜
MyLastBite
Lovely photographs!
Shoshanna
Hi Bee, where can I buy cockles?
cindy khor
this looks absolutely wonderful and delicious. thanks for the recipe and i’m going to try and make it.
Rasa Malaysia
Cindy – yes it is. Penang Char Kuey Teow is simple perfection!
Manggy
The ultimate version. I love it. And, I can trust your tastes! Looks absolutely fantastic and it’s making me hungry at midnight…
Rasa Malaysia
Haha, I know Manggy, the shrimp must be calling your name. Yes, this is the ultimate Char Kuey Teow recipe. LOL.
Chee
Thanks for this recipe! Ive been searching high and low for the perfect one and this looks perfect from your picture!
Rasa Malaysia
I think it’s perfect. Hubby is from Johor and he said to me “only Penang people can make such good Char Kuey Teow.” It was really flattering! Haha. :)
Nina
The CKT looks superlicious….simply irresistibly good. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Great pictures too :))
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Nina. Now go eat some Char Kuey Teow. :)
J2Kfm
among all of Penang’s best street fares, i like CKT the most. the hokkien mee, laksa, and lor bak come distant seconds.
can one really replicate the intensely aromatic ‘wok hei’ at home?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, many people love Char Kuey Teow, especially tourists.
It’s hard to replicate the exact wok hei at home, but I tried.
ramlah
Thanks. This is one of my favourite dish. Will try it out. n dazzle my kids. Am not good at cooking. Usually I will go to Kelana Jaya near the FAM. There is one fat lady at the coffee shop who really cooks FANTASTIC kway teow
Rasa Malaysia
Ramlah – I am sure you will dazzle your kids with this Char Kuey Teow recipe. :)
ash
Hi! Tks for sharing this! :) Can I check why shd the prawns be soaked in sugar and ice water? Is tt to make them crunchy?
Rasa Malaysia
To make it sweet and crunchy.
Maya
I think I will head to my usual makan place tonight for a plate :)
Rasa Malaysia
Maya – awesome. Hope you had a good one.
Caroline
Yummy! I love Char Kuey Teow. Can’t live without it. Thanks loads for your recipe. Will be trying it out sometime soon. =) Was wondering, can you feature some articles on Hainanese food? I am a Hainanese but have no idea about Hainanese food except for the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice.
Rasa Malaysia
Caroline – I am not Hakka so I don’t really know how to make Hainanese food.
tigerfish
Nice…I usually go without hum (cos worried of contamination) though I like it and agree with you that without ham hum, CKT can turn out quite different.
Rasa Malaysia
Tiga – did you take Hepatitis B shots? If you did, you can eat the hum lah. So good. I love them, and always ask for extra in my Char Kuey Teow.
zenchef
You kick butt Bee. This looks awesome! The step by step is so helpful because it’s the kind of dish that requires proper technique. I certainly have no reason the mess it up now!
The combo of chinese sausage, shrimp and cockles makes me want to jump in my screen right now. Your kitchen is on the other side.. right? :)
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, Char Kuey Teow has very simple ingredients and seasonings. It’s all in the technique and how you stir-fry the dish for the perfect wok hei and texture.
joey
I actually like char kuey better than pad thai :) To think I haven’t even tasted an authentic one from Penang! Thanks for sharing your recipe :)
Rasa Malaysia
Joey – me too. I love Thai food but I find Thai food to be mostly sweet, including Pad Thai. I don’t really like my noodles loaded with sugar. You have to go to Penang to try the authentic Char Kuey Teow.
jo
Bee, this looks as good as the best I have seen in either Malaysia or Singapore. Your pics are really making me drool now .. and it’s lunch time now! Love CKT with lots, and lots of lap cheung.
Rasa Malaysia
Jo – Hah, I think the best Char Kuey Teow are found in Penang. ;)
Christine
Ha. I beg to differ. The best CKT is from Ipoh, Perak.
Tho the Penang ones are great ?
sinlesschocolate
alamak! so divine la…..
Rasa Malaysia
Hehe, yes, divine it is. I ate it straight for 3 meals.
Khatiya
WOW! Thank you very much for sharing the detailed step-by-step images. I’ve never had Char Kuey Teow Penang style before.
I am Cambodian and we have our own version of Char Kuey Teow which is pronounced the same as yours. In Cambodian Char means to stir-fry and Kuey Teow means noodles. What a coincidence.
Here is how we make Char Kuey Teow the Cambodian way.
http://khatiya-korner.com/blog/2009/10/23/cambodian-fried-rice-noodles/
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for sharing the link. It looks very different. Well, Char Kuey Teow is basically a Chinese dialect, as Cambodia has many Chinese descent, so I am not surprised it’s called the same.
CT
You made this? It looks really delicious.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, I made this Char Kuey Teow. Much better than the ones served in Penang restaurants in New York. ;)
CT
I believe you. It looks really delicious. I sent the link to my sisters and parents. My eldest sister replied, ‘I AM VERY HUNGRY NOW!!!’ haha
Craft Passion
Thanks for the recipe and step by step instructions on how to fried the flat noodles :)
Ninette
Now you’re talkin! This looks AWESOME!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks!
[email protected] Series of Kitchen Experimens
Wow Bee…that looks pretty darn close to the real deal. I bet it taste just as good…sigh, woman you have cravin’ for a Penang Char Kuey Teow…with extra si ham, pls!
Rasa Malaysia
Hey Elaine – it is the real deal. ;)
Divina
That is jut gorgeous. They are so fragrant and delicious. Now, I can make this at home perfectly.
Rasa Malaysia
Divina – yes, good luck trying my Char Kuey Teow recipe.
hg
IMHO, lard is the most important ingredient in CKT. It’s just not the same without it.
Rasa Malaysia
I agree!
David
yum yum yum! Hi Bee!
Did I ever tell you that I love noodles? Well I love noodles, and i love the step by step instructions. For once, I finally have all of these needed ingredients, cheers!
Rasa Malaysia
David – great that you love noodles. Yes, this is a must-try.
Azleena
Thank you!
John
Thanks so much! I have my recipe down pretty well, and closely resembles yours. My biggest problem is: getting my noodles softened, separated, and dry – all at the same time. If i quickly immerse them in water, it helps to soften and separate them, but gets them wet, and as they dry, they tend to clump back together. If I add them before they’re dry, they cook clumpy. But, if I DON’T soften/separate in water, they start off clumpy. Any tips? How do you prep your noodles to get them soft and separated?
Rasa Malaysia
Soften at room temperature, or buy fresh ones. You can’t use water to soften and separate them, that’s a no no.
Eric
I always boil noodles with a little bit of oil and dash of salt. They won’t clump together if you do and it doesn’t flavor the noodle and actually make the texture a bit better.
Alan
The brand of ho fun that I buy, suggests putting them in the microwave for 30 seconds to help separate them so they are ready for cooking. Don’t overdo of course, just enough to loosen them up. I find it doesn’t affect the cooking process described in the recipe.
Sindee
I suggest that once you have them nice and soft underwater put some oil on them when you immediately take them out, that way they don’t stick together I usually use olive oil light taste in mine. But I think the best solution is to buy them fresh that way you dont have to worry about it sticking together when pull them apart and it doesn’t have to be soaked in water.