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Loading...A beloved hawker classic from Singapore, this smoky stir-fried noodle dish marries slippery flat rice noodles with juicy prawns, sweet-savory Chinese sausage, and crisp bean sprouts in a glossy dark soy sauce. Wok hei, the breath of the wok, is the signature flavor that separates an authentic plate from a mediocre one. Best eaten hot straight from the pan with a side of pickled green chilies.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time30 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 540 kcalCalories
- 22 gFat
- 6 gSaturated Fat
- 58 gCarbs
- 3 gFiber
- 6 gSugar
- 26 gProtein
- 1180 mgSodium
- 460 mgPotassium
- 110 mgCalcium
- 4 mgIron
- 15 mgVitamin C
- 90 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the noodles and proteins
- 450 g fresh flat rice noodles (kway teow), separated
- 225 g large prawns, peeled and deveined
- 2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong), thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 100 g fish cake, sliced into thin strips
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup Chinese chives (garlic chives), cut into 5 cm pieces
For the sauce and aromatics
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sambal oelek, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp toasted belacan (shrimp paste), crumbled (optional)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp lard or neutral oil
Directions
- Soak the rice noodles in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes until pliable, then drain thoroughly and toss with 1 tbsp of oil to prevent clumping; set aside.
- Whisk the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sambal, belacan, sugar, and water together in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves; set the sauce near the stove.
- Heat 1 tbsp of lard in a hot carbon-steel wok over the highest flame until smoking, then add the Chinese sausage and fry for 30 seconds until the edges curl and the fat turns translucent.
- Push the sausage to one side, pour the eggs into the cleared space, and let them puff for 20 seconds before scrambling roughly and tossing with the sausage.
- Add the prawns and stir-fry for 45 seconds until just pink, then toss in the garlic and shallots and stir for another 15 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the drained noodles and pour the sauce evenly over the top; toss continuously with a spatula and a pair of chopsticks for 2 to 3 minutes, lifting and flipping to coat every strand and charring the edges lightly.
- Toss in the fish cake, bean sprouts, and chives, then stir-fry for another 30 seconds just until the sprouts are barely wilted and still crunchy.
- Slide onto a warmed plate, serve immediately with a small dish of sambal and pickled green chilies on the side, and repeat with the remaining ingredients for a second batch.
- Repeat for a second batch if your wok is small, dividing the remaining noodles, prawns, and aromatics evenly between batches to maintain intense heat.
Cook’s Notes
- Use the highest possible heat and a carbon-steel wok to achieve true wok hei; a nonstick pan will not give you the smoky char.
- Cook in two batches rather than crowding the pan, or the noodles will steam and turn mushy instead of getting those lightly singed edges.
- Substitute 1 tbsp of lard mixed with 2 tbsp of neutral oil if you cannot find pure lard; it adds authentic fragrance and helps the noodles crisp against the wok.
- Adjust sambal up or down for your heat tolerance; some Singapore versions add a second spoon, while vendors in Penang keep it mild and savory.
- Prewarmed plates help the noodles stay piping hot, which is essential because CKT cools quickly and loses its slippery appeal as it sits.
