Recipe

Asia → 🇲🇾 Malaysia → Penang
Char Kway Teow
Malaysian (Penang) · medium · serves 2
prep 20 min · cook 10 min
~765 cal · 49g protein · 76g carbs · 31g fat (estimated, per serving)
🍽️
Charred flat rice noodles with prawns and chives on a hawker plate
🇲🇾 Penang
Penang’s hawkers cook char kway teow one plate at a time over fire that licks the wok’s rim — the smoky "wok hei" breath is the entire point. Locals will cross the island for the right auntie’s version and wait in line without complaint.
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Ingredients
Serves 2 —
•
1 lb fresh flat rice noodles (kway teow)
•
8 oz prawns, peeled
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2 eggs
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1.5 tbsp + 1 tbsp dark soy sauce + light soy sauce
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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2 cups bean sprouts
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1 bunch garlic chives, cut in lengths
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1 tbsp sambal or chili paste
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3 tbsp neutral oil
Instructions
1
Loosen the noodles gently and have everything within arm’s reach — this dish is 90 seconds of commitment.
2
Get the wok smoking. Sear the prawns (or mushrooms) with garlic, 1 minute; push aside.
3
Add noodles, both soys, and sambal; toss hard, letting the noodles catch and char at the edges.
4
Push everything up the wok wall, crack in the eggs, scramble 20 seconds, then fold through.
5
Add sprouts and chives, toss twice, and plate immediately — wok hei waits for no one.
Penang hawker-stall tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Penang. Hawker-stall capital of Southeast Asia, wok hei and all.
🗺️
Malaysia. Malay, Chinese, and Indian cooking sharing one table.
🌍
Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩‍🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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