Fried Rice with Baby Anchovies

Although we eat fried rice frequently, I always cook it differently, using a variety of ingredients, mixing and matching so that it is appetizing and refreshing each time.

There are many types of meat that we can use: prawns, chicken, pork or char siew. Today, I'm using something different though, baby anchovies.


Anchovies are tiny, silvery saltwater fish related to the herring and is a good source of calcium, iron and phosphorus, vitamin B3, potassium, protein, niacin and selenium. They are, however high in cholesterol and sodium.

Fried Rice with Baby Anchovies or Ikan Bilis


5 bowls of leftover rice
100 gm baby anchovies
100 gm mixed vegetables
3 shallots, sliced
1/2 tsp shredded ginger
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp of sesame oil
3 tbsp cooking oil
4 eggs
Salt, pepper

1. Fry the anchovies dry in the wok.
2. Add 1 tabsp oil and fry till crispy.
3. Dish out.
4. Heat another tabsp oil in the wok.
5. Saute the ginger, shallots and garlic till fragrant.
6. Add the mixed vegetables and stir fry a minute with some salt.
7. Add the rice, sesame oil and some salt, break up any crumbs while frying.
8. Push the rice mixture to the side of the wok.
9. Add remaining oil in the center of wok.
10. Break the eggs in slowly.
11. Sprinkle some pepper and salt onto the eggs and let it cook a while.
12. Mix the rice into the eggs well.
13. Mix in half the anchovies and dish out rice.
14. Serve hot with remaining anchovies on top and tomato and cucumber slices.

Fried Kuey Teow 炒粿条

I remembered during my teenage years, my sister and I would always be in the kitchen every Sunday cooking brunch for the whole family. There was routinely a sweet soup with fried noodles, mee hoon or lou shi fun which was fried in bulk or whole.



The fried kuey teow 炒粿条 which uses flat rice noodles (河粉) however, must always be fried individually to ensure freshness and to cater to individual preference, just like at the Char Kuey Teow stall. One sibling would want more garlic or more bean sprouts or more cockles while another might not want any cockles at all.

Nowadays I don't use any cockles due of its association with hepatitis A and also lard is not used anymore for its high cholesterol content.

Fried Kuey Teow 炒粿条


100 gm kuey teow 粿条
100 gm bean sprouts
5 slices of fish cake
5 prawns, shelled
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, sliced
2 tablespoon oil
Salt, pepper
1 egg
light soy sauce, black sauce, oyster sauce and 1 teasp water, mixed

1. Heat oil in the wok.
2. Fry shallots till golden brown.
3. Add the chopped garlic and saute till fragrant.
4. Fry the prawns till just cooked and keep aside.
5. Add the fish cake and bean sprouts and fry briskly for a minute.
6. Add the kuey teow loosely.
7. Mix in the sauce.
8. Stir fry quickly for a minute and push to the side.
9. Break an egg in the center with some salt and pepper.
10. Let the egg cook a while before mixing everything together.
11. Dish out and serve hot.

This portion serves 1-2 persons.