Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles)

Mie Goreng is a dish commonly enjoyed in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore and once you have tried it you will see why!  It is delicious.

Ingredients:
800 grams (about 1 and a half pounds) of cubed chicken breast
6 tbsps of oyster sauce
6 tbsps of tomato sauce
4 tsps of sweet chilli sauce
6 cloves of garlic, crushed and finely diced
Half a teaspoon of salt
4 eggs
2 tbsps of milk
4 spring onions, finely chopped
2 cups of mung bean sprouts
Half a cabbage, finely sliced
1 tbsp of oil plus extra if required
4 cups of cooked, drained and cooled egg noodles

Method:
Combine the oyster sauce, tomato sauce, sweet chilli sauce, garlic and salt in a bowl.  Add the diced chicken and mix through, then set aside to marinade for at least 15 minutes.

Mix the eggs and the milk with a fork. 

Heat the oil in the wok or pan and make an omelette with  the egg mixture.  Remove and set aside.  Slice when cold.

Add the chicken to the wok in small batches and stir fry until the meat is sealed - about 4 to 5 minutes. 

Once all the meat is stir fried return it all to the pan with any remaining marinade, then add the cabbage and spring onions.    Combine well and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the noodles and stir until they are covered in sauce and hot, then add the mung beans and sliced omelette. 

Mix through and cook for a few more minutes until the sprouts and egg is warmed.

Substitutes:
For the chicken - beef, pork, tofu etc or a combination.

For the vegetables - celery, mushrooms, corn, broccoli, cauliflower or any combination you like. 

Add more sweet chilli sauce if you like plenty of spice. 

Poor Man's Whitebait Patties

We've always known these as Poor Man's Whitebait although there's actually no whitebait in them!

They are super easy and cheap to make. You get a lot of patties and everyone seems to find them very tasty, hot or cold. Since they’re also nice cold they’re good to take on picnics or to go into lunch boxes or out to a pot luck lunch or anything along those lines. 

You don’t need to be too particular about the quantities, just do what seems best to you. It’s a very forgiving mixture.

Recipe

Cook and drain about two cups of instant (two minute type) noodles as per the instructions. I use a colander but you could just drain them from the saucepan if you preferred.

Put them back in the same saucepan (saves on the washing up).

Add 3 or 4 eggs.

Flake and add one small can of salmon (about a cupful). Use two cans if you feel like it. If you don't have salmon on hand ham or tuna are good substitutes as well.

At this point you can add other things you might be in the mood for like a diced onion, red pepper or some fresh or dried herbs.

Mix it all together with a fork.

Heat a little oil in a wok or frying pan. Put large spoonfuls in the wok or pan to form fritters and shallow fry on each side for approximately 3 to 4 minutes. I tend to leave them a bit longer because I like the noodles a little crispy.

Eat them just like that or dip them in whatever sauce takes your fancy.  Sweet chilli sauce is one good option.

These go nicely with a green salad.

Photo below : the mix in the saucepan before being mixed with a fork: