Kway Teow

Origin

Kway teow (hor fun / shahe fen cousins) are flat rice noodles rooted in southern Chinese traditions and central to Malaysian, Singaporean, and Thai hawker dishes. Fresh sheets are sliced into ribbons that char beautifully in a ripping-hot wok.

How to make them

1. 01

   Use fresh flat rice noodles when possible; gently loosen without breaking.

2. 02

   Heat the wok until smoking before adding oil and aromatics.

3. 03

   Stir-fry protein and noodles with soy sauces over maximum heat.

4. 04

   Work in batches if needed so the noodles sear rather than steam.

Storage

Fresh kway teow should be refrigerated and used within a day or two; warm briefly to soften before frying. Dried wide rice noodles keep for months airtight.

Popular dishes

• Char Kway Teow

  Smoky stir-fried flat noodles with Chinese sausage, shrimp, egg, and dark soy.

• Pad See Ew

  Thai soy-sauce stir-fry of wide rice noodles with Chinese broccoli.

• Beef Chow Fun

  Cantonese dry-fried hor fun with beef and bean sprouts.

• Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)

  Spicy Thai wide-noodle stir-fry with holy basil and chili.

• Kway Teow Soup

  Flat rice noodles in a clear pork or seafood broth.