Malaysian
Wat Tan Hor (Egg Gravy Rice Noodles)
Char flat rice noodles in a smoking wok with soy sauce, then pour over a silky egg gravy of chicken stock, chicken, prawns, fish cake and choy sum; about 35 minutes for 3.
Wat tan hor is flat rice noodles seared in a very hot wok until smoky, then smothered in a silky egg gravy with chicken, prawns, fish cake and greens. The contrast between the slightly charred noodles and the glossy, soft gravy is the whole point, so cook the noodles hot and the gravy gently.
- Serves 3
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 20 min
- Total: 35 min
- Cuisine: Malaysian Chinese
Ingredients
Noodles
- 500 g fresh flat rice noodles (kuey teow), loosened by hand
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp thick dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
Chicken
- 200 g chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
Gravy
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 150 g medium prawns, peeled and deveined
- 100 g fish cake, sliced
- 150 g choy sum, cut into 5 cm (2 in) lengths
- 750 ml (3 cups) chicken stock
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 3 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 90 ml water
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
To serve
- Pickled green chillies
Method
- Mix the sliced chicken with the light soy sauce, cornflour and sesame oil and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat a wok over the highest heat until it smokes. Add the oil, then the noodles, and spread them out. Leave for 30 seconds to char, then toss with the dark and light soy sauces for 2 minutes until coloured and smoky in spots. Divide between 3 plates.
- Wipe the wok, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes until it turns white.
- Pour in the stock, add the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar and pepper, and bring to a boil. Add the prawns, fish cake and choy sum stems and simmer for 2 minutes, then add the leaves.
- Stir the cornflour mixture and pour it in while stirring. Simmer for 1 minute until the gravy is glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Turn off the heat. Pour the beaten eggs in a thin stream in a circle over the gravy, wait 20 seconds, then fold gently once or twice so the egg sets in soft ribbons.
- Ladle the gravy over the noodles straight away and serve with pickled green chillies.
Tips
- Smoky noodles: cook the noodles in two batches if your wok or burner is small; crowding steams them instead of charring them.
- Silky egg: always add the egg off the heat and do not stir hard, or the gravy turns cloudy and the egg breaks into crumbs.
- Seafood swap: use 150 g sliced fish fillet or squid instead of the fish cake, or skip the prawns and double the chicken.
- Best fresh: the gravy thins as it sits, so serve wat tan hor as soon as it is made.
Questions
How do I get the smoky flavour in wat tan hor?
Use the highest heat, a well-heated wok and small batches, and leave the noodles still for 30 seconds before tossing so they char.
Why is my egg gravy cloudy?
The egg was added over the heat or stirred too much. Turn off the heat, pour the egg in a thin stream and fold only once or twice.
What is the difference between wat tan hor and char kway teow?
Both use flat rice noodles. Char kway teow is fried dry with dark soy, while wat tan hor is seared and then served under a smooth egg gravy.
Is this wat tan hor halal?
The recipe is pork-free and lists no alcohol. It is not halal-certified: use halal-certified chicken and check that the oyster sauce, soy sauces and fish cake carry halal certification, since some sauces contain alcohol.
A Dada Cooking original recipe. Quantities are metric first, with US amounts in brackets.