How To Make Mee Goreng Mamak (印度炒面), Fried Noodles with Indo-Malayan Flair
I love Indonesian food. Based on their history and interactions with the rest of Asia, the cuisine has subtle nods to Chinese, Thai, and Indian dishes, but with their own special (and usually nice and spicy) twist. Mee goreng is perhaps my favorite of the Indo-Malayan dishes. From the picture, it looks like a standard chow mein-esque stir fry, but the flavor involved is absolutely incredible and definitely sets it apart from its 'noodle cousins'. (Especially when you top it with fried onion pieces and just the right amount of sesame oil.)
Mee goreng is such a popular dish that you can buy instant packages of it all over Asia. In fact, I have some friends who lived in Western Africa that enjoyed instant mee goreng as a steady staple through the week. (You can buy instant mee goreng at a majority of Asian supermarkets in America, but try this recipe for the real deal and super authentic stuff!)
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Mee Goreng Mamak (Fried Noodles)
500 grams of yellow noodles
Handfuls of beansprouts depend on liking
2 small tomatoes, quartered
2 small onions, chopped
Handful of chicken breast meat, thinly sliced, or minced beef
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 potato, boiled and cut into cubes
1 small size dry bean curd, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons of cooking oil (I usually use soybean.)
1 tablespoons of minced green onion and garlic
2 fish cakes, sliced (optional)
Handful of shrimp, de-shelled and de-veined, optional
1 green chili or Thai chili or red cut chili, optional
3 tablespoons of ketchup
3 tablespoons of chili sauce or chili paste
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
1 teaspoon of garam masala/curry/turmeric powder, optional (but highly recommended!)
For garnishing (optional):
Some cucumber slices
Some fresh coriander leaves or green onion
Some lime or Calamansi lime (cut into half)
Some deep fried shallots
Some grounded peanut + sugar mixture
Sesame oil
1. Assemble all the ingredients that need to chopped or sliced. In a big frying pan, sauté the onion and minced garlic until fragrant. Add in turmeric or Garam Masala (if preferred). Add the chicken breast/minced beef, stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the dry bean curd, fish cakes and potato cubes.
2. Add in the yellow noodles and stir fry until well mixed. If the yellow noodles is too dry, add about 1/4 cup of water. Add the tomatoes, prawns, tomato ketchup, chili sauce or paste, freshly cut green/red chili (if any). Stir fry until well combined (about 2-3 minutes).
3. Add in the beaten egg, sugar and salt to taste, followed by the beans sprout. Stir fry until the beaten eggs dries up. Off the heat and transfer to the serving plate. Top with sesame oil to taste.
