Kwetiau goreng
Kwetiau goreng (Indonesian for 'fried flat noodle') is an Indonesian style of stir fried flat rice noodle dish. It is made from noodles, locally known as kwetiau, which are stir-fried in cooking oil with garlic, onion or shallots, beef, chicken, fried prawn, crab or sliced bakso (meatballs), chili, Chinese cabbage, cabbages, tomatoes, egg, and other vegetables with an ample amount of kecap manis (sweet soy sauce). In Asia, kwetiau is available in two forms, dried and fresh. Its recipe is quite similar to another Chinese Indonesian favourite, mie goreng, with the exception of replacing yellow wheat noodles for flat rice noodles.
'Kwetiau' is an Indonesian counterpart of Char kway teow, which originated from China and later adapted in Malaysia and Singapore. They both derive from the Chinese dish, shahe fen.
Kwetiau goreng in a restaurant in Indonesia served with acar pickles and fried shallot sprinkles | |
| Alternative names | Char Kuey Teow |
|---|---|
| Course | Main course |
| Place of origin | China (original), Malaysia and Singapore (adaptation) |
| Region or state | Nationwide |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Fried flat noodles with chicken, meat, beef, prawn or crab |
| Other information | Kwetiau Goreng is the Indonesian translation of Char Kuey Teow, which is originated in China and later adapted in Malaysia and Singapore. |
Ubiquitous in Indonesia, kwetiau is sold by many food vendors, from traveling street hawkers in their carts (warungs) to high-end restaurants. It is a favourite one-dish meal amongst Indonesians, although street food hawkers commonly sell it together with mie goreng and nasi goreng (fried rice). Kwetiau goreng is also served in Indonesian franchise restaurants.
Indonesian kwetiau goreng usually tastes mildly sweet with a generous addition of sweet soy sauce, spicier with the addition of sambal chili sauce as condiment, and mostly using halal chicken and beef instead of pork and lard to cater to the Muslim majority population. The most common protein sources for kwetiau goreng are beef, chicken, prawns, or crab.