Lort Cha

Ingredients

Noodles

• 600 gfresh lort noodles, short pin-shaped rice noodles

Meat

• 400 gbeef sirloin, in thin slices
• 2 tbspoyster sauce
• 1 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tspsugar
• 1/2 tspground black pepper
• 3garlic cloves, crushed

Stir-fry

• 4 tbspoil
• 4garlic cloves, chopped
• 200 gbean sprouts
• a large bunch of Chinese chives, cut in lengths
• 2 tbspoyster sauce
• 1 tbspdark soy sauce
• 1 tbspfish sauce
• 1 tspsugar

To top

• 4eggs
• oil, for frying

Sauce

• 3 tbspchilli sauce
• 1 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tspsugar
• juice of 1 lime

Directions

1. Rinse them briefly under warm water to loosen them. They break easily when cold, so warm them first. Drain them thoroughly and toss them with a teaspoon of oil. Wet noodles will steam rather than fry.
2. Slice the beef thinly across the grain. Toss it with the oyster sauce, soy, sugar, pepper and garlic. Let it sit for fifteen minutes while you prepare the rest. Now the preparation, which must be finished before you start.
3. Mix the stir-fry sauces together in a small bowl. Heat a little oil in a frying pan. Fry the eggs one at a time until the whites are set. The yolks should stay soft and running. Set the fried eggs aside on a plate. Now the wok, which must be very hot. Heat the wok over the highest heat until it smokes.
4. Add two tablespoons of oil and swirl it round. Add the marinated beef and spread it out. Let it sit for thirty seconds before moving it. Stir-fry it for a minute until just browned. Lift the beef out and set it aside. Now the noodles, which need room and heat. Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the chopped garlic and stir it for ten seconds.
5. Add the noodles and spread them across the wok. Let them sit undisturbed for a full minute. Toss them and let them sit again for thirty seconds. Pour the mixed sauces around the edge of the wok. It caramelises on the hot metal before coating the noodles.
6. Toss hard so every noodle takes colour. Return the beef with any juices from the plate. Add the bean sprouts and the chives. Toss it all for forty seconds only. The sprouts should stay crisp rather than wilting completely.
7. Taste a noodle and adjust with fish sauce if needed. Now the dipping sauce, which is mixed cold. Stir the chilli sauce, soy, sugar and lime juice together. It should be sweet, hot and sharp. Turn the noodles out onto warm plates. Lay a fried egg on top of each portion. Serve the dipping sauce in a small bowl on the side.

Technique

• Warm the noodle block before separating, since cold lort noodles break.
• Let the noodles sit undisturbed in the wok to get the charred blistered spots.
• Pour the sauce around the edge of the wok so it caramelises first.

Substitutions

• Short thick rice noodles if lort noodles are unavailable.
• Pork or chicken in place of beef.

Variations

• With pork instead of beef.
• Made with a soupy broth, sold as lort in soup.
• Vegetarian, with tofu and mushrooms.

History

Short pin-shaped rice noodles stir-fried with beef and bean sprouts and topped with a fried egg, sold from evening carts.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lort Cha?

Lort Cha is a street food from Cambodia: short pin noodles wok-fried with chives, beef and a fried egg. Short pin-shaped rice noodles stir-fried with beef and bean sprouts and topped with a fried egg, sold from evening carts.

How long does Lort Cha take to make?

Lort Cha takes 20 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Lort Cha?

Yes, within limits. Short thick rice noodles if lort noodles are unavailable. Pork or chicken in place of beef.

What is the most important thing to get right in Lort Cha?

Rinse them briefly under warm water to loosen them. They break easily when cold, so warm them first. Drain them thoroughly and toss them with a teaspoon of oil. Wet noodles will steam rather than fry.