Malaysian Mee Goreng (Fried Noodles)

Making tasty noodles has evolved in my kitchen with age and places I’ve been living. My childhood memories of home cooked noodles is simple. Noodles slightly colored in yellow using turmeric powder, mixed with leeks and carrots served with fried fish curry. (yes I’m a converted vegetarian, for 18 years) After a while when my mom became vegetarian and chose to avoid garlic and onion, she’d make the noodles with french beans, cabbage and carrot and serve it with some curry. South Asians cannot live without curry. (Some of Hindus (Brahmins, Jains) and Chinese vegetarians do not consume garlic and onion)

As we moved to South East Asia I was introduced to variety of noodles, and different methods of cooking them. Noodles in curry bowl (Laksa), Bee Hoon (Rice Noodles), chow mein (Chinese style stir-fried noodles), char kway teow  etc., While I tried most of them I also developed my style of making noodles incorporating Malaysian, Chinese, Thai as well as my mom’s style.

Print recipe here
Ingredients

Serves 2-3

2 tbsp sesame oil

50g firm tofu, cut into cubes

50g button mushrooms, sliced

Handful of raw peanuts

100g cabbage, shredded

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 stalk of celery, diagonally sliced

1 tbsp bean paste

150-200g of noodles (I used 2 small packs)

2-3 stalks of spring onion, roughly chopped

To make the spice paste / sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp minced garlic and ginger

1 stalk of spring onion, diced

2 fresh red chilis, diced

1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp veg oyster sauce

1 tbsp vegetarian tom yam paste

1 tbsp sambal chili

Method

Heat oil in a large non-stick pan, stir-fry tofu for 5-7 minutes till it’s crispy on outside and golden brown. Add mushroom and peanuts, stir for another 5 minutes till peanuts are browned. Set them aside.

In the same pan add 1 tbsp sesame oil, cabbage, carrot, celery and bean paste; stir for 3-4 minutes. Once water has evaporated from cabbage, turn off heat and set them aside.


Boil water in a sauce pan, cook noodles according packet instructions, and drain them in colander.

To prepare the sauce, heat oil in same pan, stir fry onion, red chilis, garlic and ginger for 2 minutes and add rest of the sauce ingredients. Stir well for a minute.

Reduce heat, stir in noodles, cooked vegetables, tofu mushroom mix and spring onion and mix well. Serve immediately…