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Epicurious
Gourmet

Penang Fried Rice Noodles

By Alexis Touchet

4.5

(19)

Image may contain Plant Food Fruit Citrus Fruit Produce Noodle Pasta Sprout and Lime
Penang Fried Rice NoodlesChris Gentile

This streamlined version of a favorite Malaysian street food noodle dish, char kway teow, substitutes Spanish chorizo for the Chinese sausage sometimes used. The smoked paprika that flavors the chorizo may be far from traditional, but it adds another layer of depth to this seductive stir-fry of rice noodles with shrimp, egg, and jicama. There's just enough chile paste for a mild buzz of heat, but not so much that your mouth is on fire.

If the jicama seems like a weird Mexican-Malaysian fusion idea, then you probably don't know that jicama is used in Asia, where it's known as Chinese turnip or potato. Its sweet crunch is reminiscent of fresh water chestnuts. Don't expect a supersaucy dish, but rest assured there's enough sauce to coat everything.

Cooks' Notes:

•In the 30 minutes it takes to soak the noodles, all other prep work can be done, including bringing the water to a boil to cook the noodles.
•The chile paste is quite strong when it hits the pan, and will likely cause you to cough, so if you have a vent fan, turn it on high.
•Some people prefer their chorizo with casing removed, but in Asia, they wouldn’t remove the casing on Chinese sausage, so it’s your choice whether you want to remove it or not.

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