Char Kuey Teow or Stir Fried Flat Rice Noodles

When it comes to Pulau Pinang (Malaysia) hawker food/street food, there are a few dishes that are chart toppers is 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, cockles, eggs, bean sprout, 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 noodle over very high heat in a well seasoned Chinese wok.

Ingredients

• 500g kuey teow-flat rice noodles, fresh
• 1cup bean sprouts
• 1 tbsp chilli paste
• 10 king prawns
• 10 cockles - if you can get them
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup kuchai - chinese chives
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp oil
• 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• Pinch white pepper

Method

1. This recipe should take no longer than 2 minutes to cook. The secret is to have a really hot wok, a quick hand and all your ingredients chopped and ready to go. First up heat the oil in a wok and when it is smoking add the prawn and garlic, then add the chilli paste, fresh noodles, then sauces stirring continuously.
2. Next, make a well in the middle and crack an egg in. Wait a few seconds for it to cook on the bottom of the pan, when it is half cooked stir it in to the rest of thenoodles, then do the same with the other egg. If you do 2 at once it will make the noodles soggy.
3. Lastly add the bean spouts, kuchai and the last of all cockles if you can get them. Serve straight away with a sprinkle of white pepper.

Asam Pedas or Hot and Sour Fish

Asam Pedas is one dish synonymous with Malacca as well as Johor in Malaysia and it is soo popular that it's said "a trip to Melaka or Johor is in complete without savouring it". Asam Pedas literally means hot/spicy and sour and basically a dish of fish or beef in light gravy. 

The fishes that one can use to make this dish are Spanish mackerel, stingray or catfish. The use of Vietnamese coriander, or 'daun kesum', is also widely used to prepare asam pedas. In Malaysia, daun kesum is mainly used as garnishing for example in laksa (which prepared with fish) or as mentioned asam pedas as asam laksa. The herb has a coriander-like smell with a clear lemony note.

Ingredients

• 300g spanish mackerel/tenggiri/stingray
• 8 shallots
• 6 dried chillies (soak in water to soften)
• 3 garlic
• 1 lemon grass-crushed
• 1/2 in fresh turmeric (optional)
• 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
• 2 stalks daun kesum/ vietnamese coriander
• 1 bunga kantan/torch ginger
• 2tomatoes (quartered)
• 4 ladies fingers
• 4 tablespoon tamarind juice 
• Salt to taste

Method

Grind shallots and garlic together. Keep aside. Grind dried chillies and shrimp paste together and keep  that aside. Discard the top and bottom part of ladies finger and keep it whole. In a wok, heat enough oil to saute the shallots and garlic paste. Once aromatic, add in the dried chilli paste. Saute until the chilli is cooked and oil floats slightly at the edges. Add in tamarind juice, tomatoes, ladies finger, torch ginger, Vietnamese coriander and salt. Leave to simmer until vegetables are tender. Add in fish finally. Leave for another 5 minutes and then dish out. You can add turmeric powder or fresh turmeric if preferred.

Malaysian Fish Curry With Tomato And Okra

In Malaysia and Singapore, this is normally fish head curry. Initially I was keen yo include it exactly like that but gauging from the reaction of many of my friends, if I didn't modify the recipe, it would never be used. So I've written it using whole mackerel instead; it would work equally well with some small bass or even gurnard too. It looks really special as I've separately made a basic curry, with its deep orange colour from fresh turmeric and kashmiri chillies, and then poured it over the fish laid out head to tail in a roasting tin. But if you are adventurous, do try making this with fish heads, such as salmon, cod or, if you can get them, grouper. 

Some of the meat in the head of a fish is extraordinarily good, especially that found in the cheeks, and I confess to an enthusiasm for fish eyes too. I can only say they are deliciously fatty. Try asking your fishmonger to save you some fish heads. They are always available if there is a Chinese community near by. Per person you will need a head weighing about 300g, but if they are bigger than this get your fishmonger to halve them with a cleaver so they sit in the sauce easily and cook evenly.

Ingredient :

• 4 x 300g prepared mackarel
• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 250g onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 quantity fish curry paste
• 24 curry leaves (about 2 sprigs)
• 1 x 250g aubergine
• 400ml coconut milk
• 2 red and 2 green medium-hot chillies, cut on the diagonal into 1cm-thick slices
• 175g okra
• 3 medium-sized tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
• 1 quantity tamarind water
• Leaves from a small bunch of coriander

Method :

1.  Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6. Sprinkle the fish with salt inside and out and set aside for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion, sprinkle with salt and fry until it begins to brown.
2. Lower the heat, add the curry paste and curry leaves and continue to fry gently for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, slices the aubergine lengthways into 4 wedges, then each wedges across into slices 1cm thick. Add the coconut milk, 500ml water, chillies, okra, aubergine, tomatoes, tamarind water and 2 teaspoon salt and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Put the mackerel side by side in a deep roasting tin in which they fit quite snugly. Pour over the curry sauce (it should almost cover the fish), cover tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the fish are cooked through. Remove, season to taste with more salt if necessary, and garnish with a sprinkling of coriander leaves.

Indian Fried Noodles (Mamak Style)

 Indian Fried Noodles (Mamak Style)

Indian Fried Noodle or 'Mee Goreng Mamak' is an extremely popular hawker centre comfort food in Malaysia. I remember many a night out with friends that ended up at our favourite late night.

When made at home, Indian Fried Noodle usually consists of leftovers fro the day before, whatever's at hand, whether it's meat, seafood or vegetables. What distinguishes it from Chinese and Malay noodles besides the spices used, is the addition of potatoes and tomato ketchup that results in a slightly heavier and tangier dish. A small amount of curry powder is also sometimes used although I usually dont't bother. Flexibility in terms of the "filling" used is a huge plus when you're making any kind of noodle dish. What I mean is, use whatever vegetables or meat you have at hand and usually a handful per diner is a perfect gauge of how much you need.

Ingredients for Indian Fried Noodle (serves 2-3)

• 400g fresh yellow noodles
• 2 handfuls beansprouts
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon chilli paste
• 1 medium tomato, quartered
• 200g minced beef / shredded chicken / prawns / squids
• Handful chinese fishcakes (optional)
• 1-2 handful of tofu, cubed
• 2 tablespoon dark soy souce
• 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

 To serve

• Handful of chopped spring onions
• Handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• Tiny slices of cucumber
• Tomato ketchep as needed

Method

1. Mix the soy souces and ketchup and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large wok and saute the onions & garlic on medium heat until fragrant, about a minute.
3. Add whatever meat you're using and cook, only a minute if it's seafood, otherwise, for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the bean sprouts and chilli paste and stir to mix.
5. Push everything to one side, add the eggs and let set for about 30 seconds.
6. Add everything else apart from the herbs and lime and mix thoroughly and cook for a couple of minutes until the noodles are done.
7. Turn the heat off and add the lime juice and herbs and stir.
8. Serve with the cucumber topped with a squeeze of tomato ketchup

 Lets enjoy your menu today!

Cheese Mushroom Omelet

Cheese Mushroom Omelet

The Ingredient To Make A Cheesy Mushroom Omelet

(1 serving)

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 handful button mushroom-sliced
• 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 heaping Tablespoon copped parsley
• 2 large eggs-beaten

This was an extraordinarily easy omelet to make. The flavors are pretty basic, but it definitely fit the bill for the kind of omelet I was craving. The only change I made to the recipe as submitted was to add two teaspoons of milk and a pinch of salt when I beat the eggs. The only change I would make in the future would be to reduce the parsley to a heaping teaspoon. A full Tablespoon was a tinge too much.

 
How To Make A Cheesy Mushroom Omelet

Add the olive oil to a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and fry until browned-about 4 minutes stirring often. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the parsley and cheese.

In the same frying pan over medium heat, add the beaten eggs. Swirl the pan to distribute the egg. As the egg begins to set, lift the edges so uncooked egg can flow underneath. when the egg is almost completely set, spoon the mushroom mixture over half of omelet. Fold the omelet.

 Transfer to a serving plate and ENJOY your breakfast!