Friday 1 March 2013

Grandma's Fried Mee


No, no, I did not eat this recently. Hee..hee...I am now on my low or rather NO carbohydrate diet (very tough, leh!). This noodle dish was cooked sometime December 2012 when I was doing a lot of comfort eating. Somehow carbohydrates like potato chips, kerepek ubi, cakes and noodles cheer me up when I am feeling down. And my favourite pastime is eating so, what can I do? Hee..hee...excuses......

As far as fried noodles are concerned, I prefer meehoon (vermicelli) or koay teow (flat rice noodles). I like mee (yellow noodles) in soups but I make an exception for Grandma's fried mee. I used to enjoy her fried mee during  the weekends. The noodles are fried with a spice paste made simply by pounding fresh chillies, onions and garlic. And in addition to soya sauce, my Grandma uses our Terengganu magic sauce - kayciap, which can be substituted with sweet soya sauce (kicap manis).

Blended chillies, onions and garlic.

One thing to remember when frying yellow noodles is to take note of the saltiness of the noodles before adding your sauces. The saltiness varies between different brands. I remember my Mum had a misadventure with her fried noodles when it turned out too salty to serve. It was a case of "Char Mee Siow Kiam" (in Hokkien that means Fried Noodles Too Salty) and  it became a little joke between us at home. So remember to taste the noodles first.


My Grandma uses either chicken or pork to fry the noodles and as for the vegetables, it was mustard greens (chye sim) and beansprouts. Sometimes she will also add prawns. I had a case of carbohydrate hunger and instantly craved for my Grandma's fried noodles. The recipe below has been recreated from memory and based on best estimate. It turned out pretty good :)









Grandma's Fried Mee
Recipe source : Phong Hong's Grandma

Ingredients :
- 450 grams yellow noodles
- Chicken meat from 1/2 chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (to season chicken)
- 1 tablespoon light soya sauce (to season chicken)
- 100 grams mustard greens (chye sim)
- A handful of beansprouts
- 3 tablespoons kayciap (or sweet soya sauce)
- 1 tablespoon dark soya sauce

Blended ingredients :
- 2 red chillies
- 2 big onions
- 3 big cloves of garlic

Method :
1. Season chicken meat with soya sauce and minced garlic. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Blend chillies, onion and garlic.
3. Blanch the yellow noodles in hot water to get rid of excess oil and drain.
4. Heat oil in wok and saute the blended ingredients until fragrant.
5. Add chicken and stir fry until cooked. You can add some water and cover the wok to cook the chicken.
6. Add kayciap/sweet soya sauce and dark soya sauce. Stir to mix.
7. Add mustard grees and fry till wilted.
8. Add noodles and stir until well mixed with sauces.
9. Fry until noodles are fairly dry.
10. Add beansprouts at the last minute and continue to mix to distribute the beansprout evenly.

Note : If you prefer your noodles more moist, you can add some water. I generally like my noodles dry with the exception of soupy noodles or noodles with gravy. Garnishing with fried browns onions will make the noodles tastier :)

54 comments:

  1. Looks really good. I would cook it like this...more or less but using pork and I may add prawns, this and that. When I cook, anything goes. Hehehehe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Arthur, this is a versatile noodle dish. Anything goes and it will taste good!

      Delete
  2. Haiyooooooo my mum makes the same and I inherited the recipe from her. Just the same like your grandma's but I'll add fishballs and fishcakes and prawn ;)

    You really made me soooooo hungry right now. Alamak mau lari dari sini la PH..hehe :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sri, don't run away la...have some noodles first hee..hee...With fishcake and prawns it is even more sedap!

      Delete
  3. Your Grandma's Fried Mee is indeed looking very yummlicious, Phong Hong!! This is just great for any time of the day, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mel, you are right! Can have for either breakfast, tea time, lunch or even dinner. Supper also can!

      Delete
  4. I love fried noodles especially the one that add a lot of chili to it. Your 'char mee siow kiam' story reminds me of my very own story. When I first moved here I was craving for KL Hokkien mee. As your know KL Hokkien Mee very 'Orr' and the black soy sauce here not thick and black like the one from home. I kept adding it to the mee and when it is black enough I tasted it and it was sooooo salty. It like eating slat and can't even telan it end up throwing out the whole thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh dear, hah! hah! That's what happened to my mum's noodles, had to be thrown away. So wasted. These cooking disasters do happen from time to time. But we sure become more careful the next time :)

      Delete
  5. Your Grandma's fried mee look similar like Mee Goreng Mamak, look simply scrumptious , and i like how you grandma prepare own chili paste to fry this mee goreng, satu pinggan please...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sonia, satu pinggan tak cukup because it is so sedap. That's why lah I fat already, kuat makan! I think if add curry powder can become like mee mamak.

      Delete
  6. Phong Hong Looks very yum_yum Mah-Mah's fried mee .Some where in late January when I was still in KL I was craving for Mah-Mah"s fried noddle couldn't tahang anymore.So I fried it Beng and I we really enjoyed it.Beng finished all the left over.He asked me whether I still want to eat but I didn't must give him chance.You know Phong Hong there is also another of Mah-Mah's fried beehoon which is very nice .I also crave for it and also do my boys If you want tell me I will pass the recipe to you before it goes under ground with me

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. EE, Mah-Mah also does this with koay teow and it is also very good. I must try it one day.

      Delete
  7. These fried noodles are mouth watering... really does look like Mee Goreng. Will try this sometime. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mich, I hope you will enjoy this mee goreng!

      Delete
  8. Hi PH... your fried mee indeed brings back childhood memories... My grandma's version is very close to this with some variation - no chili and sweet soya sauce which was (and still is) not commonly used here. She also added sliced fishcake.

    Now you trigger my craving... thinking of cooking this this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alvin, I am looking forwards to seeing your mee goreng!

      Delete
  9. Hi Phong Hong, this style of fried mee looks quite similar to Malay style fried mee which I used to have for breakfast near my office. Sometimes I do think of it but the stall is no longer operating. Looks like got to fry them myself with your recipe. I like mee........never go on diet cos' I exercises daily for at least an hour and aerobics during weekends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kimmy, you are very disciplined. I used to exercise regularly too but somewhere along the line, I got lazy. I am re-starting again and it's quiet tough after a long break. Hope you try this recipe if you like Malay style mee goreng.

      Delete
  10. Phong Homg, thanks for sharing your Grandma's recipe!!!! This yellow fried mee is my hubby favorite dish. Bookmarked and will cook this for him ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Esther, hope your hubby enjoy your mee goreng :)

      Delete
  11. Oh! Yummm.. Your fried noodle looks delicious. I would love to squeeze some lime juice over it, grab a fork and start dining into it :). ♥ Jo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jo! Oh yes, I forgot about the lime juice. Go ahead and tuck in!

      Delete
  12. Replies
    1. GK, mee goreng is very appealing especially with lots of chillies :)

      Delete
  13. Phong Hong, I have to tell you that I miss the fried mee so much becoz in Sydney, we can't find nice yellow noodles. There are many varieties of them but none taste like Malaysia's so every time when I go back to Malaysia, I must order yellow noodles+ kuey teoe soup or "gon low!" Now, please let me appreciate your grandma fried mee!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jessie, aiyo so kesian you can't get nice yellow noodles. Somehow the yellow noodles got a special taste, hor? I have tried frying with other types of noodles but it doesn't taste the same.

      Delete
  14. I love mee goreng esp the mee mamak style. This looks pretty similar and so delicious!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This version is just as good as the mamak's. Do try it!

      Delete
  15. Sedaplicious! How I miss eating mee goreng & have to agreed with Jessie that I can't find nice yellow over here too . But I will try your grandma's fried mee recipe coz I'm starving just looking at all these pictures. LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kit, now I appreciate the yellow noodles after finding out that you guys can't get it. But these yellow noodles unfortunately contain quiet a bit of preservatives.

      Delete
  16. Mee goreng will always be my favourite.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Azie, I especially love the Malay style mee goreng. I used to eat that and also bihun goreng when I was in school. The makcik kantin's version is really good, I kind of miss it!

      Delete
  17. Phong, although they're not the absolute "best" substitute, I've found that the Shirataki noodles (yam threads) work very well in cutting down the carbs in noodle dishes. You still get that satisfying mouth feel that we miss with a flour noodle. Plus, there is some research that suggests they aid in weight control (chemical make-up and fiber..... so they say)

    Keeping Jane on a lower carb diet is always a battle here, so I know what you're going thru. The dish looks fab though :)

    ps - you could check into some of the chickpea noodles.. they wont be as "soft" as a standard noodle, but you might be able to trick your mind a bit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Toby, thanks so much for the information! I will try to look out for these Shirataki noodles at the Japanese food section (they are Japanese, right?). Chickpea noodles might be hard to find, but I'll scout around. Keeping carbs in check is a constant battle especially when eating out. I'm doing OK so far :)

      Delete
  18. Hi Phong Hong,
    This looks really good! I could eat two plates! Eat first, think about carbo later! Hehehe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joyce, I am scared of carbo. They really creep up on me so easily!

      Delete
  19. Aiyo..today my ward's doctor ask me to fried spore for her with no soy sauce....Alamak how to fried noodle without soy sauce? Hehe.... Now see your delicious noodle suddenly feel so hungry. I also put on a lot of weight, have to watch my diet too.....

    Phong Hong, u always use secret Terengganu ingredients banyak Sudah to get it here... And I like ur family little joke Cha mee show kiam

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Li Shuan, one time at my uni cafetaria, one girl asked the tukang masak to "jangan letak minyak banyak sangat" when she ordered nasi goreng. The guy was annoyed and said "macam mana nak goreng kalau minyak sikit?". Hee..hee...I can't imagine fried noodles without soya sauce.

      Delete
  20. i just came back from Indian Restaurant,and ate one plate of Mee Goreng for my Supper.
    i like it so much,I was just wondering, how the chef manage to prepare such a wonderful dish.
    hahaha,thanks a lot for your Grandma's Fried Mee,come just in time~
    i want to give you a big hug! hahaha...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. caterpilar, hah! hah! now you can fry the mee goreng and enjoy it at home!

      Delete
  21. Hi PH, hope it's not too late to wish you a wonderful snake year ahead :) Your Ah mah's version of mee goreng sure looks yummy, can't taste better when love is the main ingredient :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never too late! Wish you a wonderful snake year ahead too! Oh, my Mah-Mah's cooking is the best!

      Delete
  22. Mmmmmm...this fried noodle dish looks amazing! And you're doing SO well watching your carbs...you're an inspiration!!! Happy weekend~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the encouragement, Lizzy! I am doing OK so far, though it's kind of hard :(

      Delete
  23. Hi Phong Hong ,
    Wow!! I love your grandma's fried mee.
    Looks so tempting!!
    Can i have a small plate from you..LOL

    I have some awards for you, please come collect here..^^
    http://my123favourites.blogspot.com/2013/02/sesame-roasted-chicken.html

    mui

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mui mui, I can give you a big plate! Thank you so much for the award, I really appreciate it very much!

      Delete
  24. i rarely just eat yellow noodles on its own except for mee jawa and mee goreng mamak. I think i will love this one too..i do hope to attempt it some day !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lena, if you like Malay style mee goreng, you will like this version too. Yah, do try it!

      Delete
  25. Grandmas always know best...don't they? ...and they happen to be such inspirations, and great cooks. I too have wonderful cooking adventures and memories of my dear departed grandmother. Your fried mee is exceptional, and so temptingly delicious, just seeing those red chillies makes me want to grab a fork and start eating right out of the pan!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elisabeth, I agree with you! My grandma has lots of wonderful recipes which I will share from time to time. Ah, you love chillies and that's great!

      Delete
  26. The mee goreng looks good! and it's ok to have some carbs here and there.. I've tried no carb diet for 6 months.. yup lost 5kg but can't sustain that diet.. lol.. best is to eat fresh natural food and with moderation
    Sorry for long silence.. After weeks of travelling, now only I have time to catch up on blog visits.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shannon, you are right. Very hard to sustain a low carb diet. Moderation is key! Don't worry, I understand that it is difficult to keep up with blog hopping. I sometimes disappear too!

      Delete
  27. Hi Phong Hong, your this delicious mee goreng can go with your sambal belachan, sure very delicious and can sapu 2 plates clean. LOL
    Next time please cook extra for us. ;)

    Best regards.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amelia, sure next time I will cook extra and make sure that there is lots of sambal!

      Delete