Mee Goreng

I miss the proper Indian mee goreng that you get in Malaysia and Singapore. It’s always spicy and rich and just bursting with flavours. Most of the mee goreng you get in here in Melbourne is just not spicy enough. There needs to be that element of dried spices: chilli powder and tumeric. And sometimes they get it so red, it’s scary!

I can’t say I have successfully replicated the real Indian mee goreng yet. In fact, it tastes just like most mee goreng you get at restaurants here in Australia. But it’s all right, it’s still quite good.

For 4, you’ll need:

1. 1 pack of Hokkien noodles (500 g.)
2. 10 medium-sized prawns
3. 5 fish balls, sliced (or 100g of fish cake, sliced)
4. 2 medium potatoes, peeled
5. 1 onion, sliced
6. 3 cubes of fried tofu, sliced*
7. 2 cups of beansprouts
8. 1 tomato, diced
9. 5 spring onions, sliced
10. 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (or kecap manis)
11. 2 tbsp soy sauce
12. 2 tbsp sambal oelek (reduce depending on taste)
13. 1 tsp chilli powder (reduce depending on taste)
14. 1 tsp tumeric powder
15. 3 tbsp of tomato ketchup
16. 1 red chilli, sliced (or yellow)
17. 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
18. 2 tbsp of fried shallots
19. 1 egg

Boil, steam or microwave the potatoes until cooked. Cut into 2cm cubes and sprinkle 1/2 tsp of tumeric and mix well. Separate the noodles and set aside.

Add 2 tbsp of oil onto a large heated non-stick frying pan. Add the fish cakes and fry until browned. Add prawns, garlic and onion. Fry for a minute. Add the noodles and fry until the noodles become well heated and starts to char in places. Add tomato ketchup, dark and light soy sauce, the rest of the tumeric, chilli powder, sambal oelek. Fry well until the sauces and the noodles mix.

Push all the noodles to one side. Crack an egg onto an empty space on the frying pan. Scramble the egg slightly and pile the noodles back on top of the egg. Wait for a minute or so before stirring everything together.

Add beansprounts, potato cubes, fried tofu and tomato and stir fry until everything comes together. Turn off the heat, add chilli slices and spring onion. Stir through until the spring onions wilt.

Served topped with some fried shallots and a wedge of lime.

* I didn’t really have any so I used supermarket-bought firm tofu. I cut them into slices and fry in a non-stick pan with a bit of oil until well browned on both sides and just placed them on top of the noodles.