A famous dish in Malaysia is Char Kway Teow. It began as a poor man's meal of broad rice noodles fried with dark soy sauce and lard. This popular hawker dish was sold in the streets.
Later on the cooks began adding ingredients such as bean sprouts, kale, fish cake, cockles, prawns, fresh eggs and Chinese sausage.
The best Char Kway Teow is worth seeking out, and is always memorable for its smoky flavour and just-sweet-enough-to-balance-the-savoury taste!

This recipe serves 4:

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 yellow onion
2 large carrots
1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
3 to 4 fresh chili peppers, or to taste
2 cloves garlic
1/4 pound barbequed pork
2 Chinese sausages (lop cheong)
6 ounces peeled and de-veined fresh medium shrimp
1 pound fresh rice noodles
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying
3 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves

PREPARATION:
Rinse and drain the mung bean sprouts.
Peel and chop the onion.
Peel the carrots and cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch pieces.
Shred the cabbage.
Cut the chili peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and finely chop.
Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Cut the barbequed pork into thin pieces.
Cut the sausages on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces.
Steam the sausages for about 10 minutes.
Soak the shrimp in lightly salted warm water for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauce and brown sugar. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat.
Add eggs and scramble. Remove.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
Add onions and carrots and stir-fry until the onion is softened.
Add the chiles and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the shrimp and stir-fry unti they turn pink.
Add the sausages and the barbequed pork. Stir in the cabbage. Remove and clean out the wok.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the eggs and lightly scramble. Clean out the wok.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil.
Add the rice noodles and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
Push up to the sides and add the sauce in the middle.
Heat to boiling, then mix in with the noodles.
Add the other ingredients back in the pan.
Stir in the mung bean sprouts. Cook for 30 seconds then stir in the egg.
Continue cooking, adding a bit of water or chicken broth if the mixture gets too dry. Season with the salt and pepper.
Serve hot, garnished with the coriander.