Mee Goreng is everyday street food in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. These simple and quick panfried noodles get coated in a caramelizing “sauce” made of sambal oelek (chile-garlic paste), soy sauce, brown sugar, and tamarind. This is really complex tasting, thanks to the curry powder and sambal oelek. In a pinch, someone could use sriracha instead of sambal oelek, and it would still be delicious. Depending on the curry powder, this dish will be more or less spicy and flavorful, so do not use that old, discolored bottle of curry powder in the back of the pantry. Better to buy small amounts of pre-ground spice, that way you use them quickly before they lose their aroma and flavor.
Mee goreng gets extra wonderful thanks to fresh greens and crispy shallots. The crispy shallots are a little extra work, but worth it. You could always cheat and head over to the nearest Asian market for a container of fried shallots if you want. Whenever I fry shallots at home, to save oil and make less mess I use the smallest saucepan I have and put just enough oil in it to submerge the shallots.
4 servings | Active Time: 30 to 40 minutes | Easy
For crispy shallots (optional):
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup avocado oil
Fine sea salt
3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
16 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2” cubes, or 12 ounces medium wild-caught shrimp, shelled
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chile-garlic paste)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons tamarind concentrate (optional)
1 pound Umi Organic Yakisoba Stir-Fry Noodles
2 baby bok choy, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 eggs, beaten
Lime wedges and shredded lettuce for serving
Directions
1. Toss shallots with cornstarch and a pinch of salt. In a small skillet or saucepan heat oil over medium heat until a piece of shallot dropped in the oil sizzles. Add the shallots and fry until golden, about 3 minutes. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside.
2. In a large (preferably nonstick) skillet or wok heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add tofu or shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes for tofu or 3 minutes for shrimp. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil and onion to skillet. Cook, stirring, until onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and curry powder and cook 1 minute. Add chile-garlic paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, optional tamarind, yakisoba noodles, bok choy, and bean sprouts and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until noodles start to brown.
4. Push noodles and vegetables to the sides of the pan and add 1 tablespoon oil. Pour egg into the pan and stir constantly until scrambled, then toss with noodles and vegetables. Add tofu or shrimp back to the pan and toss to combine. Serve with lime wedges, lettuce, and fried shallots, if desired.
