100gfried tofu puffsor fresh tofu, see Notes below
100gfishballs
100gprawnspeeled weight
2eggs
Garnish
chives or spring onions (scallions)chopped
Instructions
Prep Work
The Noodles
Chances are, your noodles are all bound up. Soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes until they are soft and pliable. (Hot water: boil the kettle and leave to stand for 5 minutes). The hotter the water, the less time you'll need to soak the noodles.
Gently unroll the noodles with your fingers, without breaking them, if you can help it. Do this while the noodles are still in the water. If the water is too hot, pour some out, and add some cool water from the tap. The noodles are easier to handle and less prone to breaking while they are submerged.
Drain the noodles, then drizzle the sweet soy sauce all over, and very gently, coat the noodles with the soy sauce. Set aside until needed.
All Other Prep Work
Finely chop the garlic and red chillies if you are not using chilli paste.
Mix the light soy sauce and oyster sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
Lightly whick the 2 eggs and set aside.
Halve the fishballs and cut the puffed tofu into bite-sized pieces if they are large.
Chop the chives or spring onions (scallions) and set aside for garnishing the noodles.
Let's fry the Kway Teow
Heat oil in a large wok over high heat. As mentioned in the post, if you're not too confident about this, cook on a medium heat until you've got the eggs in.
Fry the garlic and chilli paste (or chopped chillies) for 10 seconds.At this point, depending on how hot your chilli paste is, you may get a spicy aroma filling your kitchen, extractor notwithstanding. If you're not a fan, add the chilli paste with the noodles, as I've done in this image because of my younger kids.
Add the beansprouts, prawns, fishballs and tofu and mix everything for about 20 seconds.
Add the sauce mix, and stir vigorously. Fry for 2-3 minutes until the prawns are practically done (mostly red/opaque all over). Keep stirring things around, especially if you are using a high heat.This high heat is what creates that signature slightly smoky flavour synonymous with Char Kway Teow.
When prawns are practically cooked, push everything to one side and add the eggs. If you started with a medium flame, now's the time to turn it up to high.Swirl the eggs slightly, then, leave to set for 20 seconds. Stir the eggs very lightly, to allow the liquid part to touch the wok, leave to set for another 20 seconds to achieve a soft, semi cooked omelette.The idea behind this is so you'll end up with noodles that are partially coated with egg, but still have bits of egg in the dish.
Drop the noodles over the half set eggs, and mix everything up with a vengeance! Basically, fry everything, mixing vigorously, scraping the wok to get any sticky bits off and into the noodles.Cook for 2 minutes, until the noodles are done.
Scatter the chopped chives all over and serve immediately.
Notes
If using fresh tofu, cut them up into little cubes. Then fry them in a little oil (about 2 Tbsp) in a frying pan, over medium heat to crisp up before using.