If you love Asian food, Char Kuey Teow, a famous and very popular Malaysian street food is heavenly. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll crave it and dream about it. Its heady aroma, spicy complex flavors and textures are downright addictive. It doesn’t matter how many times you eat it, you’ll want MORE, it’s that good.
My mom used to make Char Kuey Teow on special occasions and it became one of my family’s all time favorite dishes. Today is one of those special occasions because it would have been my mom’s 90th and I wouldn’t be teaching wok cooking if it weren’t for her!
I didn’t make the Char Kuey Teow in this post, I was acting as sous chef for my sister so I could watch, take photos, shoot videos and learn all the secrets to share with you! It’s a lot of work but with 3 sisters prepping, it’s not as intimidating, so invite your family and friends to lessen the load, it’s always much more fun cooking together.
If you follow these tips, you’ll get a better chance of success! It’s the same approach I teach in wok cooking…
1. use good, fresh ingredients
2. use a well seasoned, lightweight cast iron wok for better wok hei (high heat) Otherwise, a cast iron skillet but definitely NOT nonstick because it can’t withstand high heat required to make this dish!
3. high heat is ESSENTIAL, preferably gas not electric…
– so the noodles don’t stick and get all goopy
– to get that wonderful umami flavor when soy sauce hits the heat
4. Make small batches, the smaller the better the results. In Penang, they make enough for only one person at a time and it’s perfect every time!
Visit Char Kuey Teow Pork Jerky for tips and substitutions which are all part of being a Wok Star and my mom would have approved, she used to do that too and no one was the wiser. Make Char Kuey Teow your memory anchor for good times and I would love to hear how your dish turns out?
Char Kuey Teow was a perfect fit for this month’s Let’s Lunch theme for a summer dish from our childhood memories. Whenever I eat this dish, all my childhood memories start flooding back, like my family at the beach or at a picnic and having a fantastic time. But my best and favorite memory is of cooking with my sisters and mom, giggling and having a blast!
Let’s Lunch is a monthly virtual gathering of foodies from all over the world and take turns hosting with a theme. Anyone can join, just use #letslunch on twitter and someone will reach out to you or leave a comment below. Check out other Let’s Lunchers’ posts, they’re always an interesting read…
Betty Ann‘s Suam Na Mais (Corn Soup with Shrimp and Spinach) at Asian in America
Eleanor‘s Mom’s Malaysian Char Kuey Teow at Wok Star
Grace‘s Mung Bean Popsicles at HapaMama
Karen‘s Watermelon Salt Water Taffy at GeoFooding
Linda‘s Auntie Number One’s Fresh Peach Ice-Cream at Spicebox Travels
Lisa‘s Aunty Myrna’s Cabbage Rolls at Monday Morning Cooking Club
"one dish meals"
Wok Up Leftovers
A brilliant way to use leftovers is to wok them up! I love how it comes together as a dish in its own right. Heat wok and add a little squirt of oil, then add all the leftovers, warm through and add healthy dash of scrirachi, done in 5 minutes!
Left: ground turkey from Rainbow Lettuce wrap from recent cooking class. Top: chayote, jicama, peppers; next is eggplant and last chili beans.
I overdid warming of baby quiche so they were a bit crisp, oops. Side of salad is compulsory at lunch.
Love to hear any weird leftovers you’ve made in your wok!?
Easy Skirt Steak Stir Fry
The Chinese horoscope says Year of the Snake will be a roller coaster year, but for me 2013 started off with a NICE BIG BANG! Everything is flowing smoothly and seamlessly. Three little new words will be my new focus for Year of the Snake: Simplify, Eliminate and Delegate (SED.) These can apply to everything you do in life starting with cooking!
When cooking during weeknights, stick to simple one-dish dinners like this Beef Stir Fry so you can enjoy with family or friends or even on your own! This simple beef stir fry can be made in less than half an hour. Flap Steak or Skirt Steak are reasonably priced and good cuts for stir frying, there’s a little marbling to keep it succulent. ‘Marinade’ your thinly sliced steak with squirt, squeeze, shake of TSPC. No sauce, otherwise you’ll want rice or a starchy carb to mop it up. This simple beef stir fry can be made in less than half an hour. You can substitute with a variety of other meats like chicken, pork, lamb, shrimp or tofu and swap the veggies but use this same technique, you can’t go wrong and you’ll be able to build ‘hundreds’ of yummy weeknight dinners.
Watch out for a Chinese New Year Feast post, I’ll be having a second Feast this Sunday so I can celebrate with my sister and more friends. Happy Year of the Snake everyone, hope your year will bring you luck, good health and wealth.
Ingredients:
1 lb. Skirt Steak marinaded in TSPC
2 cloves garlic
thumb size ginger, shredded
1 medium size ripe tomato cut into wedges
2 scallions, sliced diagonally
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
Tea Seed Oil for frying
Marinade:
TSPC: T=tamari, S=sherry, P=pepper, C=cornstarch
1/4 tsp. of Sambal Olek
Practice the following stir fry technique and you’ll succeed everytime:
1. Heat your cast iron wok till you see first wisp of smoke.
(Do NOT use teflon nonstick for stir frying, it can’t handle high heat and you’ll damage the material).
Add 3 swirls of oil, quickly add garlic and ginger so they don’t burn and turn bitter. Add beef and spread out in one layer so they all get some heat.
2. Flip the steak as soon as you see color turning! This doesn’t take long, otherwise you’ll overcook and becomes chewy.
3. Add wedges of tomatoes and swish around with beef till a bit wilted. Last, top with scallions and cilantro right before plating. Viola!
My dad was born in year of the snake! If you’re a snake, see if you share his characteristics!
Some celebrity Snakes: Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, Oprah Winfrey; John F. Kennedy, Chris Rock, Marlon Brando
Snake traits: Acute, aware, charming, cunning, elegant, mysterious, passionate, proud, serene, and vain.
Best match: Ox, rooster. Avoid: tiger, pig
Forecast:
career: self improvement to make great achievements at work
wealth: financial fortune will come second half year
relationship: married folks prevent extra marital affairs, singles will meet loving ones.
health: control your emotions in case of unexpected hurt
Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means that your family will not starve. People born in the Year of the Snake are keen and cunning, quite intelligent and wise. They are great mediators and good at doing business. Therefore, you should have good luck if you were born in the Year of the Snake.
This is a year of water Snake, and all things will be possible. Saving money and being thrifty should be your top priorities. Delusion and deception are common in the year of water Snake. Stay alert! To gain the greatest benefits from this year, you must control spending and use your talents wisely. If you are planning to get married or to begin a business partnership, be sure to thoroughly investigate the other person’s finances and background before you legalize the alliance.
Here’s more.