Fried Rice Noodles: Char Kway Tiao (kwai tew) tropical style

Char Kway Tiao (also known as kwei teow or kwai tew) is a challenging task due to the demand to control the and retain the integrity of the noodles at the same time. Hopefully, this would help you to succeed in whipping up dishes of the noodles that have become very popular in all parts of the world.

This recipe would be sufficient for a family of four.

The main and must have ingredients are:
Thick Rice Noodles (300g)
Yellow Hokkien or similar wheat noodles (200 g)
Chinese rose meat sausages (sliced thinly)
Prawns - devined and sliced in the middle
Mustard green or choy sum or baby kai lan - wash, separate and slice
Garlic chives
Bean sprouts (80g) rinsed and drained well
Garlic
Cooking Oil
Eggs (3 - 4)
Dark soy sauce
Light soy sauce
Chilli paste (optional)

1. Start frying the garlic in oil till fragrant. Put in sausage and prawns. Do not overcook.

2. Increase the heat over the frying pan. Add yellow noodles, followed by rice noodles and green vegetables and stir well. (If using chilled noodles, steam it till slightly soft and warm 10 minutes before frying. If using dried noodles, blanch in warm water for 5 minutes and drain well before hand. The worst thing to have are half cold noodles on the plate.)

3. Add some light soy sauce to taste. (Leave dark soy sauce till the end to avoid burning)
You could either add chilli at this stage or leave it at the side for individuals to help themselves.

4. Make a well in the centre and break the eggs. Stir quickly to ensure the slightly cooked egg is spread evenly to all the noodles.

5. Add garlic chives. Then add beansprouts last.

Tips: To avoid noodles sticking to the bottom of the pan, one way is to add oil as the frying progresses. However, a healthier way is to use a good quality non-stick pan to reduce the amount of oil needed.

Water is sprinkled if there is a need to soften the noodles further.

A helpful tool to have is a long pair of bamboo chopsticks on one hand and a light slotted wooden spatula on the other hand to stir the noodles without breaking them to pieces.

Be quick and do not spend too much time pondering and waiting. This is a quick stir fry using strong heat.

Note: Though both are former British Straits Settlement ports, the main difference between the Penang fried rice noodles and Singapore fried noodles is the latter use more dark soy sauce. Also, Penang version uses only rice noodles of the thinner width and omits yellow wheat noodles. Traditionally, street food sellers add cockles (clams) and lots of chilli paste to their already fiery fare.

Five spice crispy soy beancurd meat roll : ngoh hiang, loh bak, meat spring rolls

Some modern chefs used this recipe and call it a special spring roll. 

It is not entirely incorrect to call it a spring roll. However, if this dish has been in existent for centuries and already has a name for it, why do some celebrities want to rename or simplify it, to make it sound or appear more exotic and innovative than the remaker deserves?

Outline:
Part 1: Soy bean skin (salty top layer of soy milk dried into a crepe sheet)
Part 2 : Filling
Part 3 : Chilli sauce and sweet soy sauce
Assemble, steam, panfry

(1) Wipe away salt from soy bean sheet with a clean damp dish cloth. Cut into smaller rectangulars of at least 3x5 cm or wider if you prefer a larger roll.

(2) Prepare filling of 300 g minced pork, 150g cut shrimp meat, 10 waterchestnut, 1 chopped onion, 1 sprint onion sliced, julienned carrot

(3) Season the meat with salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce and pepper.

(4) Fill in the centre of the soy crepe and roll as you would with a spring roll, folding the shorter ends first and then roll from one length to the other end.

(5) Put on a greaseproof paper lined plate and steam for 15 minutes under medium low heat. Alternatively, cover and microwave on medium high for 2 minutes on each side (turn around).

(6) Cool the rolls and pan fry with a little oil till crispy.

(7) You may keep the remainder in the fridge for another meal. It can be kept in the fridge for 3 days and freezer for a month but be sure to heat it up very well before consuming.

(8) Chilli sauce is a mixture of ground fresh red chilli, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, vinegar and lime juice. Mix well.

Fried Rice - Cantonese Style

Cantonese fried rice uses Chinese sausage (or BBQ pork leftovers) and green vegetables and spring onions.
I have added rice wine and chilli slices for more complex flavours. The test of good fried rice is the grains must still retain its integrity and not too wet and marshy. A tip is to use less water when boiling the plain steamed rice or use "older" rice.

In the famous Yangzhou (yongchou chow fun) shrimp and mushroom are important ingredients, with carrot and peas added for colour and fresh taste. That's the main difference.

Chinese Mixed Vegetables Fry and Stew - Chap Chai

Different from Korean Chap Chae (which is fried sweet potato noodles)

http://homecooksecrets.blogspot.com.au/search?q=chap+chae

1. Fry garlic till fragrant. Add salted soy bean.

2. Fry soaked shitake mushroom slices, followed by cut cabbage and carrot.

3. Add pepper and oyster sauce (or thick dark soy sauce).

4.  Add water and slowly bring to simmer.

5. Add precooked soy bean sticks and soaked bean vermicelli (dong fen / tang hoon)

6. Cover and cook slowly till vegetables have absorbed most of the sauces.

7. Add water if necessary. Keep the heat low and ensure the bottom of the pot does not burn easily.

Silkworm in spicy laksa soup - twist to exotic Northeast Asian / Far East delicacy

I learned recently that silkworm is the staple food in Northeast China, Korea, Far East Russia, Japan and northern Thailand.

Outside its natural habitat, adventurous foodies can only get hold of canned or frozen versions. 

Traditionally, silkworm is supposed to be stir fried. Since the canned silkworm was not popular, judging by the amount of leftovers, this creative home-cook has to reinvent and make an interesting dish. The solution : adding silkworm to laksa noodle soup! 

In Southeast Asia, cockles (mud clams) are added to laksa for a special shellfish zing. Silkworm really does the trick here. It brings out the special flavour in laksa. 

A recipe for easy preparation of coconut based laksa will be provided shortly (note : not the same as tamarind fish laksa or curry flavoured mee soup versions). 

Silkworms are nutritious and do not add much to carbon emissions. These creatures feed on mulberry, leaves of a delicious fruit quite similar to raspberry except larger and of a darker color. 

Researchers have recommended adding silkworm pupae for a higher protein diet, especially for hikers and astronauts. It is not that squirmish once you get over the mental barrier.