Episode 1 covers Penang, arguably Malaysia’s most famous street food destination, and in this particular segment, I demonstrate how to cook a vegan version of Penang Char Koay Teow (also spelled Char Kway Teow, or shortened as CKT).

If you’re old enough to have tasted my Char Kway Teow back in the day when I used to sell it all over Sydney and at my restaurant, you’ll know it’s probably what I’m best known for.  I’ve also sold a plant-based version of it at a vegan festival many years ago (it was hugely popular); this recipe is further adjusted to include besan flour plus a small amount of tapioca starch as an egg substitute, though that can be omitted if you prefer it sans egg.

Catch the replay of Street Food Journeys: Malaysia Plant-Based Edition (Penang) here; the Vegan Penang CKT segment is at the 1:20 mark onwards >> https://youtu.be/5wgU5OYsRHw 

Vegan Penang Char Koay Teow

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:
200ml soya sauce
1 cup sugar
1 TBSP salt
4 TBSP mushroom seasoning
1 Tbsp cooking caramel (thick soya sauce)
1⁄4 cup water

Noodles:
250g fresh rice noodles
1 1⁄2 TBSP oil
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP chilli paste (from soaked and blended
dried chillies) – optional
1⁄4 cup sliced mushrooms or protein of choice
1 1⁄2 TBSP CKT sauce
2 TBSP besan or chickpea flour + 3 TBSP water
1 tsp tapioca or cornstarch + 1 TBSP water
Small bunch of garlic chives, cut into 2-inch
lengths
Small bunch of beansprouts

METHOD:

1. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 8 weeks.
2. Heat half the oil in wok until smoking. Add noodles and scorch.
3. Add garlic and fry until aromatic. Add mushrooms and any other accompaniments. Add chilli paste if using.
4. Drizzle about a teaspoon of the sauce at a time and mix well. Make sure sauce is absorbed before you add more.
5. Add besan mixture into noodles, reduce heat and allow to set.
6. Add tapioca starch mixture, cook a further 10 seconds, then fold into noodles.
7. Turn off heat and add beansprouts and chives and mix well. Remove and serve.

This episode of Street Food Journeys: Malaysia (Penang) Plant-Based Edition also features:

• The JetLag Warriors
• How to Make Bubur Kacang Hijau (green bean sweet soup) by yours truly
• How to Make Vegan Pasembur (a salad with crispy fritters and a spicy sweet potato sauce) by MOMC@Heart’s Liam Ghani, who blogs at TheMuddledPantry.com

The recipes for the entire series, produced in partnership with Tourism Malaysia Australia, can be found in the special edition MOMC eMagazine which you can download here >> Click to View or Download

Sign up to our email list so you don’t miss a single issue of our MOMC free recipe eMagazines >> MalaysianChefs.com/JoinToday

The post How To Cook Vegan Penang Char Koay Teow first appeared on Jackie M..

This dish however, is different, because it’s accidentally vegan, not manipulated and contorted to fit a vegan diet. It’s a Malaysian breakfast favourite to boot (you might have seen me feature it on television, and also on previous videos, but just humour me, please).

Chee Cheong Fun

INGREDIENTS:

• 125 g rice flour
• 2 ½ Tbsp tapioca flour
• 500 ml water
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 2 Tbsp oil, extra for mould

Toppings –

• ¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted
• 1 cup oil
• 1 brown onion, peeled and sliced thinly
• Chilli sauce (Sriracha), optional

Topping Sauce –

• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar

METHOD:

1. Combine all the rice flour roll ingredients and mix well, batter will be very thin.
2. Brush a square metal cake pan with oil, pour a very thin layer (2 mm) of batter and steam on high heat for one minute OR use an oiled non-metallic baking dish and microwave on high for about a minute and a half (75 to 90 seconds depending on strength of your microwave).
3. Allow to cool slightly then use a spatula or scraper to lift up the edge of the rice flour sheet. Roll up then put aside and repeat process until all the batter is used up.
4. Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium heat, cool.
5. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the onion until light brown. Remove onion from oil and transfer onto paper towel to crisp up. Store the onion crisps for future use, reserve oil for topping the rolls.

Topping – 

1. Combine hoisin sauce, water and sugar in a saucepan. Simmer on low heat until sugar is completely dissolved.

Assemble –

1. Cut the rice flour rolls into 3 cm widths. Drizzle with either prawn paste sauce & Kicap manis OR hoisin sauce mixture.
2. Drizzle with onion oil and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds, serve with chilli sauce if you like it spicy.

The post How to Make Vegan Rice Noodle Rolls (aka Chee Cheong Fun) first appeared on Jackie M..