Try this Vegan Char Kuey Teow without stepping foot in Penang!

A meat free Char Kuey Teow can be hard to find in Malaysia. Luckily, Chef WoonHeng is here to treat us with her authentic plant-based Char Kuey Teow recipe!

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•February 5, 2025•Recipes
Try this Vegan Char Kuey Teow without stepping foot in Penang!

Try this Vegan Char Kuey Teow without stepping foot in Penang!

A meat free Char Kuey Teow can be hard to find in Malaysia. Luckily, Chef WoonHeng is here to treat us with her authentic plant-based Char Kuey Teow recipe!

This traditional Hokkein dish is enjoyed in Singapore and Malaysia, and is known for having a smoky fried flavor due to its wok-hei, which happens when the rice noodles and ingredients are fried until it has its distinct flavor.

The original recipe includes shrimp, fish cakes and sometimes pork lard or Chinese sausage. Culinary experts believe that Char Kuey Teow might have a culinary lineage with the national dish of Thailand, Pad Thai.

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Ingredients for the Rice Noodles (420g):

  • 3 parts rice flour

  • 1 part tapioca flour or any type of starch

  • Water

  • Vegetable oil for grease

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Ingredients for the sauce:

  • ½ tsp thick dark soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce

  • ½ tsp of sugar

  • 1 ½ tsp Sambal Oelek (optional)

  • 1 tsp salt

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Ingredients for garnishes

  • 130g firm tofu

  • 1 cup (120g) mung bean sprouts

  • ½ cup (60g) chopped Chinese chives

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • ½ cup (60g) Chinese chives

  • Cooking oil

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Rice Noodles (skip if using store bought rice noodles)

  1. Hand mix 3 parts of rice flour to 1 part of starch into a batter in a bowl.

  2. Slowly add water to the bowl and whisk until it has a consistency of soymilk.

  3. Use any plant based oil and grease an 8 inch non-stick pan.

  4. Pour ¼ cup of the batter on the pan.

  5. Steam the pan over high heat until the batter becomes clear.

  6. Brush the top of the clear sheet with vegetable oil.

  7. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the sheet and cut into noodles

  8. This recipe will give out 420g of fresh rice noodles.

Soy Sauce

  1. Mix dark soy sauce, soy sauce, a touch of sugar, and sambal oelek (optional) in a small bowl.

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Frying the Noodles

  1. Chop tofu into strips and mince the garlic until fine.

  2. Coat a clean non-stick pan in cooking oil.

  3. Add the minced garlic into the pan

  4. Sauté garlic until golden, and then add in the tofu.

  5. At this point you can add in the bean sprouts and Chinese chives if you want them to be softer.

  6. Season with chili of your choice or sambal oelek.

  7. Add a pinch of salt.

  8. Pour in the rice noodles and soy sauce mixture and fry.

  9. Toss the noodles in the pan until brown to give them their signature wok-hei.

  10. Add the bean sprouts and Chinese chives at this point if you haven’t already and stir fry.

Serving

  1. This recipe serves 2

Notes from the Chef:

  1. If using store bought rice noodles, it is best to get them while they are fresh as they loosen easily.

  2. If your store bought noodles have been kept for over a day, they can become brittle.

  3. To loosen older noodles, put on top of a microwave-safe plate and cover with a damp paper towel.

  4. Breaking the rice noodle into smaller stands makes it easier to absorb the sauce.

Link to the original recipe:

https://woonheng.com/vegan-char-kuey-teow/

Link to how to make Rice Noodles:

https://woonheng.com/homemade-flat-rice-noodles/