Chicken kwetiau stir fry is a Chinese Indonesian and Malay Singaporean dish. This delicious dish is actually quick and easy to make at home.
Kwetiau stir fry is a Chinese Indonesian and Malay Singaporean dish. In Indonesia it is called kwetiau goreng. Kwetiau or common called flat noodle is made from rice flour.
What’s the difference between noodles, vermicelli, and kwetiau?
In Mandarin, noodles are from wheat flour mixed with eggs. The shapes are curly or straight. In the past, Chinese people served it in a long and wide form because, in China, noodles became a symbol of a long life. As technology advances, people make noodles from a variety of ingredients, such as wheat and vegetables.
Originating from China, vermicelli is from rice flour. The shape of the vermicelli is thinner. Also, the texture is softer than the noodles. Because it is from rice flour, vermicelli is popular as a healthier food than noodles.
The next food which also comes from China is kwetiau.
Kwetiau has written variously such as kuetiau, kwetiau, and kwayteow. But in the original language, it is called pinyin: Guo tiau read: Kuo thiau. Kwetiau is a type of noodle made from rice flour or wheat flour with a wider texture. To make it easier to consume, the rice noodles are cut into flatters.
Here are some tips so that the kwetiau are not messy during the stir-frying:
- Fresh is the best. Note that fresh noodles are very soft, but most of the kwetiau sold are hard. It is easy to crumbly. Fresh kwetiau does not need to be cooked or soaked in water. Instead, the flat rice noodles are added directly to the dishes.
- Soak the kwetiau in warm water before dividing the amount you need. Then, separate the kwetiau that stick together. There are many methods you can do, you can mix it or soak it in warm water.
- Minimize handling in the pan. The more they are handled, the more they break. Stir or gently turn the kwetiau in the pan. Throwing kwetiau is the best way to minimize kwetiau breakage. Otherwise, use a spatula and wooden spoon to gently flip it in the pan.
Kwetiau stir fry has the flavor of Asian cuisines. It is mildly sweet with an addition of sweet soy sauce. Kwetiau recipe is quite similar to another Chinese Indonesian favorite, mie goreng or fried noodles.
Kwetiau is usually sold at street food at night. Sometimes I make it at home if I have the ingredients. The ingredients are easy to find. For the topping you can use beef, chicken, fried prawn, or sliced meatballs. You also can add tomato, egg, cabbage, or other vegetables that you like.
How to make chicken kwetiau stir fry:
Crush all spice paste ingredients and 1/2 tsp salt with mortar and pestle until all become a paste. You can use electric spice grinder if you don’t have mortar and pestle. Set aside.
My mom taught me that adding salt to spices in mortar and pestle make the spices easier to be crushed because of salt’s abrasive texture.
In a wok heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in high heat. Add chicken breast and cook for 1 minute. Then turn over, cook for another 1 minute. Set aside and put the cooked chicken in the bowl.
In the same wok, heat remaining cooking oil in medium heat. Add spice paste and stir for 1 minute until the seasoning paste is cooked.
Move the spices to the side of the wok. Add the eggs and scramble until cooked.
Turn the heat to high. Add water, kwetiau, oyster sauce, kecap manis, chicken stock powder, and black pepper and stir until combine.
After that add bok choy, cooked chicken and green onion and stir until combine. Add salt to your taste. Cook until bok choy is cooked about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Chicken kwetiau stir fry is ready to serve.
Recipe Notes :
- Dry the Kway Teow. The easiest way to do this is to filter the noodles through a sieve.
- Rinse the noodles with cold water to cook the cooking process. Dry one more time.
- Add the noodles to stir-fries or soups when the dish is over.
- If you’re not ready to add the noodles to your dish again, add a little sesame oil so they don’t dry out or clump. Store in a tightly closed bag at room temperature for the drying process.
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Chicken Kwetiau Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 4 portion Fresh Kwetiau Noodles (Flat Noodles)
- 300 g Chicken Breast 1 inch x 1 inch cut
- 2 cup Bok Choy 1 inch cut
- 3 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Kecap Manis
- 1 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 1/2 cup Green Onion chopped
- 1 tsp Chicken Stock Powder
- 200 ml Water
- 1/4 cup Cooking Oil
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- Salt
Spice Paste
- 4 Shallots
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 4 Bird’s Eye Chilis
- 1 cm Ginger
- 3 Candlenuts
Instructions
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Crush all spice paste ingredients and 1/2 tsp salt with mortar and pestle until all become a paste. You can use electric spice grinder if you don’t have mortar and pestle. Set aside.
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In a wok heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in high heat. Add chicken breast and cook for 1 minute. Then turn over, cook for another 1 minute. Set aside and put the cooked chicken in the bowl.
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In the same wok, heat remaining cooking oil in medium heat. Add spice paste and stir for 1 minute until the seasoning paste is cooked.
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Move the spices to the side of the wok. Add the eggs and scramble until cooked.
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Turn the heat to high. Add water, kwetiau, oyster sauce, kecap manis, chicken stock powder, and black pepper and stir until combine. Then add bok choy, cooked chicken and green onion and stir until combine. Add salt to your taste. Cook until bok choy is cooked about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
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Chicken kwetiau stir fry is ready to serve.
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