Mee goreng is a noodle dish found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and other nearby countries that shapeshifts depending on where you eat it.
“There are a few varieties of mee goreng – literally meaning ‘fried noodles’ in Bahasa/Malay,” Keat Lee, head chef of Melbourne restaurant Lagoon Dining, tells Broadsheet. “Mamak-style mee goreng uses curry powder, ketchup and tomato, and does not have pork as it is usually halal.” (Mamak are street stalls selling Tamil Muslim or Malay cuisine.)
“Usual ingredients include potato, fried bean curd and fresh seafood such as squid. Baba’s Meat Curry Powder [used in this recipe] is a Malaysian brand which my parents used growing up and is commonly used. Our version is a blend of styles, a bit more of a generic mee goreng, incorporating elements of mamak style and, of course, our house-made sour pork sausage. We use the Sing Long brand of sambal as it has a nice depth of flavour. It’s not too sweet, has a little kick of spice to it, and a bit of funk from the dried shrimp.”
In that blend of styles, this mee goreng is a bit like Lagoon Dining itself, which is mainly influenced by Chinese cuisine, but also draws on the ingredients and techniques of Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia.
And one of the best parts? Only 10 minutes separates you and a bowl of these punchy, wok-fried noodles.
Lagoon Dining’s mee goreng
Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
50g vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tbsp diced brown onion
½ tsp minced garlic
Half a small tomato, cut into 4 wedges
1 spring onion (white part), cut into 3cm batons
1 baby king brown mushroom, cut into 4 pieces
50g pork sausage, casing removed, cut into bite-sized pieces (sour pork sausage from a Thai grocer or lap cheong also works well)
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp Sing Long nasi lemak chilli sambal
6 Flinders Island scallops (roe off)
1½ tsp Baba’s Meat Curry Powder
120g Gold Star hokkien noodles
½ tsp ground white pepper
¾ tsp caster sugar
1½ tbsp ABC kecap manis
½ tbsp fish sauce
½ tbsp PRB light soy sauce
50g bean sprouts
1 stalk Chinese broccoli, cut into 1cm pieces
2 tbsp spring onion (green part), cut into ½cm rounds
10g coriander, leaves picked and washed
1 tbsp crispy shallots
¼ lime
Method
Heat vegetable oil in a wok on high heat. Crack egg and add to the oil. Allow to settle briefly before using a spatula to break the egg and scramble.
Add the onion, garlic, tomato, spring onion (white part), mushroom and pork sausage. Stir-fry on high for 30 seconds.
Add the tomato ketchup and sambal, stir and cook for 30 seconds, then add the scallops and fry for a further 15 seconds.
Once the scallops have turned slightly opaque, add the curry powder and noodles. Mix well to incorporate the ingredients together.
Once the noodles have wilted slightly, turn heat to low, then add the white pepper, sugar, kecap manis, fish sauce and light soy sauce. Turn heat back to high and cook for 30 seconds. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Add a little more kecap manis or sugar if you prefer it sweeter, or more fish sauce if you prefer it saltier.
Add bean sprouts and Chinese broccoli, cook for 30 seconds till wilted then serve. Garnish with spring onion (green part), coriander, crispy shallots and lime.
Need more noodle inspiration? See Broadsheet's best noodle recipes.
