Mie Goreng

Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)

Indonesia's beloved street-stall noodle dish: parboiled egg noodles tossed over high heat with garlic, shallot, chilli, cabbage and glossy kecap manis, finished with a fried egg on top. The wok heat and the sweet-savoury balance of the kecap manis are what make it authentic.

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •400 g (14 oz) fresh yellow egg noodles (mie telur), or 200 g dried egg noodles
• •4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• •4 whole shallots, thinly sliced (about 80 g / 3 oz); substitute 1 small red onion if needed
• •2-3 whole red chillies, such as bird's eye or long red chilli, thinly sliced; adjust to taste
• •150 g (5½ oz) white cabbage, shredded
• •100 g (3½ oz) chicken breast or thigh, sliced thinly (optional); substitute peeled prawns or firm tofu
• •4 whole eggs, 3 beaten into the noodles, 1 fried sunny-side up to serve
• •3 tbsp kecap manis, Indonesian sweet soy sauce; do not substitute with regular soy sauce alone - see note
• •1 tbsp light soy sauce, or to taste
• •1 tsp salt, or to taste
• •white pepper, ½, or to taste
• •3 tbsp neutral cooking oil, peanut, vegetable or canola
• •2 stalks spring onion, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) lengths, for garnish
• •1 whole cucumber, sliced, to serve
• •1 whole tomato, wedges, to serve
• •fried shallots (bawang goreng), handful, store-bought is fine, for garnish
• •kerupuk (prawn crackers), optional, to serve on the side

Steps

1. 1 Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Cook the noodles 1 minute less than the packet directs (they should be just under al dente, as they finish cooking in the wok). Drain, rinse briefly under cold water to stop cooking, drain well, and toss with 1 teaspoon of the oil to prevent sticking.
2. 2 In a small bowl, beat 3 of the eggs with a pinch of salt. Set aside. Crack the remaining egg into a separate bowl for the fried egg topping.
3. 3 Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat.
4. 4 Add the sliced shallots and stir-fry for 1 minute until just softened. Add the garlic and chillies and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant - do not let the garlic brown.
5. 5 If using chicken or prawns, add them now and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 74°C / 165°F) or the prawns are pink and opaque, about 2–3 minutes.
6. 6 Add the cabbage and stir-fry for 1 minute until it just wilts but still has crunch.
7. 7 Push everything to one side of the wok. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the empty side, then pour in the beaten eggs. Let them set for 15 seconds, then scramble them lightly and mix into the vegetables.
8. 8 Add the drained noodles to the wok. Pour the kecap manis and light soy sauce over the noodles and toss continuously with tongs or chopsticks for 1–2 minutes, until the noodles are evenly coated, glossy and heated through, with a few strands lightly charred at the edges.
9. 9 Season with salt and white pepper. Taste and adjust - it should be savoury-sweet with a chilli kick. Toss in the spring onion.
10. 10 Meanwhile, in a separate small pan, fry the reserved egg sunny-side up in a little oil over medium heat until the white is fully set and opaque and the yolk is still runny, about 2 minutes. The egg white must be completely set with no translucent parts.
11. 11 Divide the noodles among warm plates, top each with a fried egg, and serve immediately with cucumber slices, tomato wedges, fried shallots and crackers on the side.