Char Hor Fun is a popular Chinese street food in Malaysia and Singapore. In fact, it is our favourite childhood comfort food that brings back fond memories. There are also many Malaysian chain restaurants or food stores all over the world selling this popular classic dish. Likewise, char Hor fun or shahe fen (Mandarin) originated from Guangzhou in Southern China region of Guangdong. Besides, its popularity proliferated into Southeast Asia.
Another name for this Char Hor Fun dish is wat tan hor (Cantonese), which literally means “silky egg fried noodles”. In addition, a different version called ying yong hor (in Cantonese symbolizing Yin and Yang) with a twist. Likewise, they use combination of flat rice noodles cooked in light and dark soy sauce. Plus thin rice noodles (rice vermicelli) fried until crunchy for this ying yong hor.
Cooking Method for Char Hor Fun
Usually, they only use fresh flat rice noodles for Char Hor Fun. Then they and cook the noodles with light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Followed by adding meat like chicken or beef or pork and/or seafood. Tossed together with choy sum and cooked in a silky and thickened egg gravy. Subsequently, for the hot egg gravy, they normally serve on top of the cooked noodles with all the other ingredients. However, fresh flat rice noodles or hor fun, normally have wheaten cornstarch added. This is in addition to rice as a main ingredient. So I will not recommend using these noodles in any gluten free recipes.
For my gluten free Char Hor Fun recipe, I am using gluten free pad Thai noodles. Cooked in sauce made of blackstrap molasses and salt. Moreover, I used chicken, prawns and choy sum as my main ingredients. Then I tossed all ingredients in a hot wok and served with a smooth and silky egg sauce. This Char Hor Fun recipe is also soy free, dairy free and nut free.
Check out my other gluten free Asian noodles recipes below:
- Asian Mushrooms and Vegetables Stir-Fry Noodles;
- Hokkien Fried Noodles;
- Singapore Noodles (Sing Chow Mai Fun);
- Pork and Choy Sum Stir-Fry Rice Noodles;
- Fish Cakes with Rice Noodles; and
- Beef and Zucchini Stir-Fry Noodles.
Char Hor Fun (Rice Noodles in Egg Gravy)
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil for pan frying
- 1 kg skinless and boneless chicken breasts trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 kg king prawns raw, peeled with tails intact (wash and reserve shells)
- 500 g gluten free Pad Thai noodles or any gluten free rice noodles
- 2 bunches baby choy sum or Hong Kong choy sum, washed and cut into 8cm in length
For the Egg Gravy:
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 7 tablespoons corn starch mixed with ½ cup water
- ¼ cup medium dry sherry
- 3 eggs
- Salt to taste
For the Prawn Shells Stock:
- All reserved prawn shells
- 2.25 litres water
For the Noodles Sauce:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- ¼ cup medium dry sherry
- 3 teaspoons salt or to taste
For the Marinade for Chicken
- 2 tablespoon medium dry sherry
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
For the Marinade for Prawns:
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon corn starch
- 2 tablespoon medium dry sherry
For the Garnish:
- 3 spring onion (shallots) thinly sliced
Instructions
- Combine chicken with marinade in a large bowl and mix well.
- Combine prawns with the prawns marinade in a large bowl, toss and mix well.
For cooking the prawn shells stock:
- Add 2.25 litres (9 cups) water into a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add in all the reserved prawn shells.
- Turn heat to low to medium, cover with lid and simmer for 30 minutes.
For cooking the chicken and prawns:
- Heat up a non-stick wok with some extra virgin olive oil, stir-fry the chicken on medium to high heat for 3 minutes or until just cooked. Remove chicken and set aside. Discard chicken juice. Clean wok with kitchen paper towel.
- Heat up the wok again with some extra virgin olive oil, pan fry the prawn for 2 minutes on each side or until prawns are just cooked. Remove and set aside. Clean wok with kitchen paper towel.
For cooking the noodles:
- Prepare and mix the noodles sauce ingredients except salt in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Fill a medium pot half full of water, bring to a boil and turn off the heat. Add the rice noodles into the wok for 2 minutes or until the rice noodles are just soft. Separate the noodles, drain the water, remove and set aside.
- Heat up a wok and add in all the cooked noodles.
- Drizzle all the sauce prepared in step 9 onto the noodles in the wok.
- Add salt to taste and stir and mix well on low to medium heat until noodles are soft.
- Apportion and place the noodles onto deep serving plates and set aside.
For cooking the egg gravy and combining the dish:
- For the egg gravy, heat up the wok with ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, add garlic and stir-fry until lightly golden on low heat.
- Add in 8 cups of prawn shells stock prepared in step 5.
- Then add in the gluten free corn starch mixture, stir-fry on medium to high heat until the gravy has thickened.
- Add in 3 eggs one at a time and stirring the gravy continuously as you add the eggs.
- Lastly, return the cooked chicken and prawns and mix well and bring to a boil.
- Then add in the choy sum and cook for another 2 minutes or until choy sum turns bright green. Turn off the heat.
- Add some egg gravy and ingredients on top of the noodles on each serving plate.
- Garnish and serve with some spring onions (shallots).
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