Learn how to cook one of Singapore's most popular dishes, home-made Char Kway Teow, the traditional way! Be warned though, this delectably decadent dish is best enjoyed in moderation!
Slice the lime into half and chop the chilli finely, then cover with cling wrap and refrigerate.
COOKING METHOD
Prepare pork oil. (see tips) Pour the pork oil into a separate bowl, leaving behind 1 TBsp in the wok.
Add in Chinese sausage to fry for 30 secs at low heat until fragrant, then transfer to a plate.
Turn up the heat to medium high and heat 1 TBsp of pork oil in the wok. Next, add in the garlic and fry until aromatic, then add in the kway teow and fry for 2 mins.
Add in the light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, sweet sauce, chives, fish cake and chilli paste (optional). Toss the kway teow to mix well with all the added ingredients.
Push the kway teow to one side of the wok, add 1 TBsp of pork oil to the wok and crack the eggs in it. Using the spatula, spread out the egg and add in 1/2 tsp fish sauce. Flip the kway teow over the egg and give it a quick stir.
Again, push the kway teow to one side of the wok, add 1 TBsp of pork oil to the wok and add in the prawns. Next add in the bean sprouts.
Push the kway teow to one side, then add in the cockles and 1 tsp of pork oil. Flip the kway teow over the cockles and give it a quick stir.
Sprinkle the water/prawn stock over the kway teow if it is too dry, and stir well.Finally add back the Chinese sausage and mix well. Turn off the heat immediately. Transfer to a platter and serve with lime and chilli while still hot
Video
Notes
MARKETING TIPS
Buy fresh kway teow from the market the same day that you plan to cook. However, if you need buy it in advance, or buying refrigerated versions from the supermarket, its best to blanch the kway teow with hot water and drain dry before frying.
If you're only cooking for 2, half the portions. In fact, for a portion size of 4 as per this recipe, I would recommend dividing the Fried Kway Teow ingredient into two portions, and fry them separately. It is easier to fry a smaller portion of kway teow so that it would not stick together and the ingredients would not be overcooked.
COOKING TIPS
Replace pork oil with vegetable oil if you prefer a healthier dish. Alternatively, it is best to eat this dish in moderation.
Turn the fire down to low immediately and closely watch the pork lard while continually stirring it once the pork lard starts to turn yellow.Once it turns light golden, it is done and you need to remove it from heat straight away.
Remove the casing of the sausage by soaking it in hot water for about 10 mins as it is made of synthetic material or animal intestines.
Use prawn stock instead of water for extra flavour. To prepare the prawn stock, fry prawn heads and shells with some garlic until aromatic. Add half bowl of hot water to it and let it simmer for a few mins. Discard the shells and pour the prawn stock through a sieve. Save the stock for frying the kway teow.
Add Beansprouts towards the end so they still retain their crunchiness. If fried for too long, the beansprouts will become limp instead.
Chives can be omitted if you prefer.
HOW TO PREPARE COCKLES
Buy fresh cockles from the wet market, but do note that they are normally available only during weekends. They are also sold at certain NTUC and Sheng Siong Outlets.
To assess if the cockles are fresh, check if most of them are open. You can even go a step further and lightly tap on the open cockle. If the cockle closes, it is most definitely alive and fresh! The colour of the cockles should be pinkish red. The cockles should also smell fresh. It they are smell bad or look suspect, please do not purchase.
Wash the cockles thoroughly as the shells are covered with sand and mud. Before extracting the flesh, soak the cockles in a tub of water with 2 tsp of salt for about half an hour. This is to purge the sediment trapped inside the cockles.
Remember to keep the cockles refrigerated once extracted until needed to prevent contamination.
To open the cockles and extract the meat, there are 2 main ways of doing this.
Put hot boiling onto the cockles for 1 mins. Drain off the water and open the shell with your hands.
Prise open the shell using a cockle opener. (I bought mine from Thailand). Try some of the traditional cookware shops that sell pots and pans, they may carry this item in stock. After opening the shell, remove a small lump of mud inside the cockles with your thumb, and use the shell to scrape the meat out.