Wok-tossed rice noodles with char siu and egg (hu tieu xao xa xiu)

"I came across a street food cart in Saigon’s busy Chinatown wok tossing rice noodles. I couldn’t help myself but ask the owner if I could make my own dish. Within 3 minutes, I was done. This noodle dish is a very simple, quick and tasty dish to make at home on any night of the week." Luke Nguyen, Luke Nguyen's Street Food Asia

Wok-tossed rice noodles with char siu and egg. Credit: Alan Benson

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400 g thick fresh rice noodles (at room temperature; see Note)
• 1 handful bean sprouts
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 150 g roasted char siu, sliced (see Note)
• handful of sliced choy sum
• pinch of salt and pepper
• light soy sauce and Sriracha chilli sauce, to serve

Instructions

Place a wok over high heat and when hot add the oil and garlic and saute until just fragrant. Add the rice noodles and stir-fry until charred and smoky, then add the bean sprouts and soy sauces and toss to combine. Add the beaten egg and allow it to cook between the noodles and bean sprouts for 1 minute. Add the char siu, choy sum and a pinch of salt and pepper, then wok toss for another minute. Serve immediately with light soy sauce mixed with Sriracha chilli sauce on the side.

 

Notes

• Be sure to use fresh rice noodles which have been kept at room temperature and not refrigerated.

• Char siu is available from Chinese barbecue shops.

Photography by Alan Benson. Styling by Lucy Tweed. Food preparation by Tammi Kwok.

Luke Nguyen's Street Food Asia airs Thursday at 8.30pm on SBS. Visit the program page for recipes, videos and more.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.