Noodle Week #3 - Trishaw Noodle (Kang Chia Mee)

Once upon a time in the 1960s, this trishaw noodle (拉车面) was a staple and cheap food for the trishaw pullers along the old Chinatown of Singapore. A bowl of this simple noodle cost a few cents during that time and was enough to fill up their tummy. You won't find this easily available around the hawker centre now. I only know one particular stall that sells this noodle dish which is located at Maxwell Market. I never patronise this stall before so no comments :D I get to know this noodle dish as my parents used to cook it for us frequently during our childhood days. Fast and simple and of course easy to fill up our hungry tummies too hahaha....

See is really simple ingredients! Dried shrimps, shallots, choy sum (cai xin) and flat yellow noodles. But I went the extra mile by preparing a pot of simple chicken stock (forgotten to place the stock in the pic :p) instead of just using plain water. The final noodle gravy should taste slightly peppery and not overly salty. I seen my parents added sliced cucumber instead of cai xin, I will try this next round. 

You have to serve this noodle dish immediately all else the thick sweet gravy will all be soaked up by the yellow noodles! Hehehe therefore  I also have to chop chop chop finish shooting before it turn a bowl of gluey mass. This noodle is delicious and simple to prepare which I will bookmark in my daily menu.  Hopefully they will remember the taste when they grow up and pass on this 'extinct' food to the next generation.

Ingredient

• 30gm shallots, peeled and sliced
• 30gm dried shrimps, soaked
• 500ml chicken stock
• 500gm flat yellow noodles
• 100gm cai xin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, add in noodles and blanch briefly. Drain away water. (this step is not necessary but I prefer this step as it helps to remove excess grease and alkaline taste of the noodle.)
2. Heat 4 tbsp oil in wok, add shallots and fried till golden brown. Remove fried shallots and use for garnishing later.
3. Add dried shrimps into the shallot oil and fry till brown and crisp.
4. Add in cai xin and noodle and stir to mix evenly.
5. Pour in chicken stock and seasoning and bring to boil. Simmer for 2 mins until the gravy thickens. There should be still ample of gravy left, do not boil till it dries up! Serve immediately with fried shallots.