MIE GORENG ~ Indonesian Fried Noodles

Rustic, aromatic, savory-sweet-spicy, stir-fried noodles, loaded with fresh veggies, tasting of the passion of Balinese tradition, topped with crispy-fried, golden strands of sweet onion.  Oh my!

It was just last year that I had my very first taste of Mie Goreng.  Not only that, lucky duck am I, that my first Indonesian noodles were deliciously munched down, in Bali. 

It seems like forever that us four dearheart girlfriends (Deb, Donna, Lynnea, I love the way you rock!) dreamed and schemed of getting ourselves to that faraway Indonesian Island, to a gorgeous villa, hidden away, on a jungle slope, in rural Ubud.  Villa Sagitta is perfectly perched near the top of the hillside on a gorgeous UNESCO World Heritage river gorge.  Wow, right?

We arrived at the villa, travel bedraggled, tired and hungry, but immediately enchanted by the bewitching beauty surrounding us. 

We had only one immediate agenda, dinner, then bed. 

The always friendly, attentive, charming, villa staff were at our beck and call, from the get go.  Aaaahhh, life is good.  Before we knew it, more magic was upon us.  Our dinner table on the lanai was set, enticing aromas were coming from the kitchen, and our view.........intoxicating.

Just a smidgen of our panoramic view, from the dining table, as dusk approached.

And then, drum roll please, my first Mie Goreng, Yande style.

Chewy, tender noodles boasting oodles of exotic flavours, yet comfortably familiar.  And this is how, when and where my cravings for Mie Goreng all started.

As like most traditional dishes, anywhere in the world, every family and restaurant have their own authentic version.  I looky-looed online at many Mie Goreng recipes, and of course I consulted our talented, Sagitta Villa cook, Yande, on his method and ingredients.  Then I played with noodles, and flavours, and textures of course, 'cuz any good Mie Goreng is texture-ific.

Which brings us here today, with my Okanagan Summer version of my fave Balinese noodles.  Cool!

'Goreng' translates as 'fried', 'mie' means 'noodles'.  Traditionally, this dish is served with either eggs, scrambled, stir-fry style, or a fried egg is decorously plopped on the finished noodles.  I left the eggs out of this particular recipe, as I have a couple of non-eggers.  But by all means, muddle a couple of eggs into your mixture, if you are so inclined.  Yummy.

Also, chicken and/or shrimp are most often, stir-fried first, then removed from the wok, as the veggies and noodles come together, and then added back in.  My version is riddled with fresh veggies, no meat or seafood.  But again, mie goreng is so delicious with either or both.  Mmmm.

Noodles, well you could use, rice noodles, angel hair, thin egg noodles, fresh or instant ramen noodles.  I opted for fresh ramen noodles, which I buy regularly from the Oriental Market in Kelowna.

One more thing, mie goreng is often finished with a topping of crispy fried shallots.  I thought, hmmm, I think I'll try using Frizzled Onions.  So glad I did.

There you have it, try it, make it, make it your own, as this iconic, happy food is so easily adaptable. 

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Loosely adapted from WhatToCookToday,
TravelAlphas and RecipeTinEats blogs.
Thanks, so much!
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But of course, most importantly inspired by the charming, talented Yande,
at Villa Sagitta. Suksma, Yande!

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MIE GORENG ~ Serves 8

6 individual packages fresh ramen noodles, 5 ounces each (you can also use instant ramen)

3 ears of corn
About 3 tablespoons oil (I used Avocado oil)
1 cup leek, cut into 1/2 nch thick rounds
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chopped baby bok choy
3 smallish carrots, grated
2 cups bean sprouts
3./4 cup good chicken broth, or water and powdered chicken broth
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Sauce :
4 tablespoons kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1-3 tablespoons sambal oelek
2 teaspoons fish sauce

Garnish - Fresh tomato slices, fresh lime slices, fresh cucumber slices and Frizzled Onions, if desired.  Frizzled Onions can be made earlier in the day.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add ramen noodles and simmer, stirring, about 2 minutes, until just slightly undercooked.  Drain, plunge or rinse noodles with cold water, to stop cooking.  Set aside.

Shuck corn, remove silks.  Either grill until cooked and a bit charred, or, as I do, pop onto a gas burner, on my stove top, over medium-low heat.  Keep turning with tongs, about 10 minutes, until evenly cooked, with some of those delicious charred bits.  Set aside to cool.  Then cut kernels from cobs.

Make sauce by combining kecap manis, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sambal and fish sauce.  Whisk. Set aside.

Preheat wok, or large pan, add oil.  Add leeks and stir-fry for about 5 minutes until softened, and golden edged.  Add garlic and stir-fry 1 minute more.  Add bok choy and chicken broth, cook for about 4 minutes.  Add carrots and stir-fry another 1-2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add noodles, corn and sauce.  Tumbling, mixing carefully to make sure the sauce is coating the mixture.  Add bean sprouts and continue mixing and cooking for about 3 minutes.

Garnish and serve immediately.  Tastes like Bali.