Breakfast Char Kway Teow

The loud pattering of rain rudely roused me from my slumber and I grudgingly woke up. Trudging to the window all bleary-eyed, I found myself staring out to this:

Dang. I just wanted to sleep some more. 🙁 But since my brood had also awakened (groan!), I had no choice but to start the day, but not without first fixing up some carb-laden Breakfast Char Kway Teow.

After all, we need to put some cheer on a day when the sun has forgotten to shine.

Breakfast-style kway teow is different from the regular (and more famous)Char Kway Teow. The latter has slivers of fish cake and chinese sausage, eggs and cockles fried together with the flat rice noodles.

This breakfast version consists of nothing more than rice noodles fried with garlic, bean sprouts and chives. It is one of many widely popular breakfast choices in Singapore. Go to any stall at the hawker centre, and you can order a plate of this for about S$0.70 to S$1. You’ll have the option to make your meal even more hearty by adding on sides – choose from sunny side ups, sausages, fish cakes, cuttlefish cutlets, stirfried cabbage or luncheon meat.

And yes, you heard me right … this is for BREAKFAST.

Give me hot, greasy grub …

… and an aromatic cup of kopi to go along. And I am ready to take on the world my children.

Recipe
– 400g fresh kway teow (rinse briefly)
– 2 stalks chives (or spring onions), cut into inch-long strips
– 2 eggs, lightly beaten
– 3 cloves garlic, minced
– Beansprouts (as much as you like)

(For the seasoning sauce)
– 2 tbsp thick, sweet sauce (I used Rose brand “Thick Sweet Sauce” – made from molasses, sugar, water and caramel)
– 3 tbsp light soy sauce
– 1 tbsp fish sauce (omit for vegetarian version)
– 2 tbsp water
– dash of salt and pepper (if required)
Mix all your everything in a bowl and leave aside.

1. Heat oil in wok on high. You have to maintain high heat throughout.

2. Stir-fry garlic a few seconds, add bean sprouts.

3. Toss in kway teow and drizzle seasoning sauce soy sauce mixture all over the noodles. Gently stir-fry for 3-5 mins.

4. Make a well in the centre of the wok, pour beaten eggs and scramble once they start to set. Throw in spring onions, fold the noodles over, give it one good last stir-fry to mix well with the kway teow.

5. Dish up kway teow onto individual serving plates.

6. Top with a sunny side up (you can omit this if you have already added beaten eggs into the kway teow).

Now, who cares if it rains all day?