Lunches
Lort Cha
Ingredients
- - 400 g (14 oz) fresh short rice noodles (lort)
- - 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- - 3 garlic cloves, minced
- - 150 g (5.3 oz) Chinese chives, cut into 4 cm lengths
- - 150 g (2 cups) bean sprouts
- - 2 eggs
- - 2 tbsp (30 ml) dark soy sauce
- - 1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce
- - 1 tbsp (15 g) sugar
- - 1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce
- - 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve
Method
- Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 15 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the rice noodles and toss well, breaking up any clumps, for 1–2 minutes.
- Push the noodles to one side, crack the eggs into the cleared space and scramble briefly, then fold through the noodles.
- Add the dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar and fish sauce, tossing to coat the noodles evenly.
- Add the Chinese chives and bean sprouts, stir-frying for a further 1–2 minutes until just wilted.
- Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.
Introduction: Lort Cha is a beloved Cambodian street lunch of short, chewy rice noodles stir-fried with bean sprouts, egg and a dark savoury sauce.
Cultural Background: Lort Cha is a beloved Cambodian street lunch of short, chewy rice noodles stir-fried with bean sprouts, egg and a dark savoury sauce. The noodles' distinctive short, tubular shape — 'lort' means to roll — comes from being hand-rolled from a rice flour dough before steaming, a technique shared with southern Chinese communities long settled in Cambodia. It is typically cooked to order at market stalls in a well-seasoned wok over roaring heat.
Tips: Keep the wok very hot throughout — Lort Cha depends on quick, high-heat cooking to avoid soggy noodles. If fresh lort noodles are unavailable, thick rice noodles cut into short pieces are the closest substitute.
Variations: Add sliced Chinese sausage (lap chong) for a richer version. A vegetarian version omits egg and adds extra tofu and mushrooms. Omit egg and fish sauce; use mushroom seasoning sauce and add cubed fried tofu and shiitake mushrooms.
Storage: Best eaten fresh; leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
Reheating: Reheat in a hot wok or pan with a splash of oil for 1–2 minutes; microwaving will soften the noodles' texture.
Nutrition: Per serving (approx.): 390 kcal, 14 g protein, 11 g fat, 58 g carbohydrate, 3 g fibre, 890 mg sodium.
FAQs:
Q: What are ‘lort’ noodles?
A: Short, thick, chewy rice noodles hand-rolled into tube shapes, distinct from long rice vermicelli.
Q: Can this be made gluten-free?
A: Yes, provided the soy sauces used are certified gluten-free; the noodles themselves are rice-based.