Noodles

Niu Rou Mian 牛肉麵 (Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup)

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS:

Spice Bag:
The Essentials:
1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorn
2 black cardamom
2 dried bay leaves
2 star-anise
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tbsp goji berries

Optional Spice Bag Extras:
2 dried liquorice slices
2-4 dried red chilis

Beef Broth:
800g bone-in beef shin or short ribs
6 tbsp cooking oil
1 bulb garlic, roughly chopped
50g ginger, thinly sliced
½ brown onion, sliced
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
¼ cup Chinese chili bean paste (toban djan)
2 tbsp sugar
½ cup light soy sauce
½ cup shaoxing wine, or dry sherry
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tomatoes, quartered
1 beef stock cube
¼ cup deep-fried shallots/onions, optional
½ tsp salt, or to taste

Hokkien-style wheat noodles
Baby bok choy, cut into half
Spring Onion, finely chopped
Fresh coriander, finely chopped

METHOD:

  1. Toast the spices in a dry pan, over a medium low heat, until aromatic. Secure in a spice bag.
  2. Cut the beef into hefty chunks, then blanch in a large pot of rapidly boiling water for a couple of minutes to rid the meat of impurities. Drain and rinse the meat, then set aside.
  3. In a clean pot on high heat, add the oil, followed by the garlic, ginger, brown and spring onions. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then reduce heat to low-medium and add the toban djan and sugar (the chili bean paste can spit and burn, so take care). Continue to sauté for another minute then stir in the shaoxing wine, light and dark soy sauces.
  4. Increase the heat, then add the blanched beef, tomatoes, beef stock cube, and deep-fried shallots (if using). Simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften, and the beef absorbs the flavours. Add 2 litres of water and the spice bag. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a lively simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 and a half hours, or until the meat is fork tender. Top up with boiling water, if needed.
  5. Pass the broth through a fine strainer into another pot. Remove the meat and set aside, discard everything else. Place the strained broth back on the stove and keep on a low simmer. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed.
  6. When ready to serve: Chop up any large pieces of meat into manageable chunks. Blanch the bok choy halves in salted boiling water for 1 minute, set aside. Cook noodles by following instructions of the type you’re using. Drain and place in a serving bowl. Bring the broth back up to the boil.
  7. Ladle the HOT broth over the noodles, then top with beef, bok choy, chopped spring onion and fresh coriander.

Serve immediately.

Hokkien Char Mee

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

400g thick Hokkien noodles
100g pork belly, skinned and finely sliced
6 medium prawns, shelled
40g white cabbage, sliced
2 tbsp crispy pork lard cubes (crackling)
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp pork lard (or vegetable oil)

Marinate:
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cornflour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½ tbsp water

Sauce:
1 cup warm water or fresh chicken stock
1 tbsp oyster sauce
½ tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
½ tbsp thick soy sauce (sub: kicap manis/sweet soy sauce)
¼ tsp sugar
½ tsp sesame oil
Dash of white pepper

METHOD:

  1. Combine the pork and prawns with the marinate ingredients, leave for 15 minutes.
  2. Prepare the noodles as per instructions, then rinse and drain well.
  3. In a bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients together.
  4. Place a wok on the highest heat possible. Once smoking hot, add 1 tbsp lard/oil.
  5. Stir fry the pork and prawns until just cooked through. Add the other 1 tbsp lard/oil and the chopped garlic. Fry until lightly golden and fragrant.
  6. Add the drained noodles and give everything a good stir before adding the prepared sauce.
  7. Bring to a fierce boil. Reduce the sauce by half before adding the cabbage.
  8. Continue to stir fry until gravy is thick and glossy and coats the noodles.
  9. Just before serving, toss through the crispy pork lard cubes (crackling).
  10. Serve immediately with some sambal belacan, or pickles green chilis, on the side.

To discover other delicious Malaysian recipes from The Muddled Pantry, please click here

Lor Mee 卤面 (Braised Pork Noodles)

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS
4 portions thick Hokkien noodles
1 cup beansprouts

Braised Pork & Gravy:
400g pork belly (skin-on, cut into 2 pieces)
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
5 eggs (4 boiled and peeled, 1 lightly beaten)
4 thick slices of ginger
1 tsp five-spice powder
2 cinnamon stick
2 whole star anise
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1½ tbsp sugar
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp salt, or to taste
¼ cup tapioca/potato/corn starch mixed with 100ml water

Essential Toppings:
Chinese black rice vinegar or Chinkiang vinegar
4-6 garlic cloves, crushed/grated
Fresh red chilis, sliced
Fresh coriander, finely chopped

Optional Toppings:
Fried fish cake, sliced
Deep fried battered fish, chopped
Deep fried Shallots
Fried wontons
Fried wonton skins
Ngoh Hiang/Lor Bak, sliced

METHOD:

  1. In a large stock pot, bring 2 litres of water to a boil. Stir in the dark & light soy sauces, oyster sauce, five-spice, cinnamon, star anise, sugar, and ground white pepper. Add the pork, dried shiitake mushrooms, and bring to a boil before reducing the gravy to a steady gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer till the pork is fork tender (between 1 and 1½ hours).
  2. 20 mins before the pork is done, add the peeled boiled eggs to the pot.
  3. When the pork is tender, remove the meat, eggs, and mushrooms. Fish out the cinnamon sticks, ginger, and star anise, then check the gravy for seasoning before bringing it back to a lively simmer.
  4. Mix the tapioca/potato/corn starch with 100ml water to make a slurry, then stir into the gravy to thicken. Bring back to a simmer.
  5. Whilst gently stirring the gravy, slowly drizzle in the beaten egg. Leave on a slow simmer.
  6. Thinly slice the rested pork and mushrooms. Cut the eggs into halves. Mix the crushed garlic with some neutral oil to make a paste.
  7. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions and set aside.
  8. Decant half the gravy into a second pot. Bring to a boil before adding the noodles and beansprouts. Braise the noodles for a couple of minutes before dividing them into individual bowls. Ladle over extra gravy.
  9. Top with the sliced pork, mushrooms, and eggs. Add any of the optional toppings (I recommend adding at least one).
  10. Garnish with the garlic paste, chillies, and coriander. Drizzle black vinegar to taste.
  11. Serve immediately.

To discover other delicious Malaysian recipes from The Muddled Pantry, please click here

Siamese Laksa (Penang Laksa Lemak)

Whilst I have had many wonderful experiences working with Masters of Malaysian Cuisine (MOMC) as a guest chef on MOMC@Heart, the undoubted highlight was being invited to feature on MOMC’s Malaysian Heritage Cuisine series in association with MAFI (Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture & Food Industries). What an honour it was to work alongside some of the greatest Malaysian chefs in the business, but also to have the opportunity to share one of my favourite family recipes – Siamese Laksa!

Also known as Penang Laksa Lemak, Siamese Laksa is unfortunately somewhat eclipsed by Penang’s most famous laksa – Assam Laksa. More’s the shame as Siamese Laksa is wonderfully aromatic and its rich broth isn’t as divisive as the hallmark sour fishy “love or loath” broth of Assam Laksa. In fact, given the choice, I would opt for a bowl of Siamese Laksa every time!

Based on a much loved family recipe handed down from my late Grandmother and preserved by my aunt, Rohani Jelani, this is a recipe of many parts. Though it might seem intimidating, the ingredients are relatively easy to source and the actual cooking time, albeit intensive, is actually quite short. Nonetheless, the results are worth the effort!

To discover other delicious Malaysian recipes from The Muddled Pantry, please click here

Click here for the recipe

Khao Soi Gai / Chiang Mai Chicken Noodles

Though longstanding regional rivalries make it painful for me to admit, of all Malaysia’s neighbours, Thailand is undoubtedly our closest culinary contender when it comes to claiming the crown of being South East Asia’s greatest food destination.

Arguably the other great S.E. Asian powerhouse of complex flavours, Thai food may be geographically akin to Malaysia, yet the two cuisines remain fiercely distinct. Of course, it will shock no one to know that, for me, Malaysian food comes out tops over our Northern neighbour every time, even though it’s a closer run race than you’d imagine! What ultimately clinches it for Malaysia is it’s diversity. Of course there are many regional Thai dishes that reflect the local communities, but for the most part Thai food is represented as a unified national cuisine, unlike the wonderfully muddled menagerie that is Malaysian food.

Of course, one thing the two have in common, are noodles.

A self-professed noodle-eating fiend, I wholeheartedly believe that noodles make good cuisines great, and Thailand is responsible for some of the best noodles out there: Pad See Ew and Pad Kee Mao are personal favourites, and I’m even partial to wolfing down a decent Pad Thai. But aside from the famous wok-fried varieties, heartier and soupier Thai noodles seem more elusive than you’d expect. Thankfully, Khao Soi (or Chiang Mai Noodles), pick up the slack rather nicely.

Arguably Thailand’s most famous soup noodles, Khao Soi is also one of the easiest Thai dishes to make at home. Hailing from the country’s Northern region, versions of this wonderful dish can also be found in neighbouring Lao and Myanmar. Whilst most of the ingredients are accessible to anyone with a local Asian Supermarket, Khao Soi‘s laksa-like broth is nevertheless a heady brew of aromatics and depth. Makrut (Thai) lime takes centre stage here, adding a vibrancy to an otherwise rich coconut broth. As such, fresh Makrut Lime Leaves are essential, though the Makrut lime zest is easily replaced with regular lime.

Another ingredient not to be omitted are the fried wonton skins – of course these add some crunch, but ultimately when soaked in the spicy broth, they are transformed into deep-fried nuggets of joy – pure yumminess.

As I said previously, with dishes like Khao Soi, sometimes Thai food really does give us Malaysians a run for our money!

Click here for the recipe

Penang Wonton Mee (Dry)

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore noodles, I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner – in fact, I’ve done so more times than I care to admit! To my mind they’re the ultimate fast food and I just can’t get enough of them. I would be hard-pressed to pick my favourite, but if I had to chose, wonton mee would perhaps rate as my ultimate noodle, making this the perfect choice for my 100th post!

A childhood favourite and made up of a medley of distinct components, wonton mee is a master-stroke of combined flavours. Rather unsurprisingly, wontons are key, along with addition of char siu and sliced pickled chillis, but there are no hard or fast rules. The interpretation of what constitutes wonton mee is notoriously diverse; the wontons can be boiled or deep-fried, the dish can be served wet (in a soup) or dry (with a sauce). It all comes down to individual preferences and finding a hawker who meets your expectations! Personally I like mine dry with soft wontons, lots of pickled chilli and white pepper – naturally my recipe reflects my own preferences, but you should feel free to adapt it to your own tastes!

Everybody in Penang has their favourite hawker centre and mine was at the back of Pulau Tikus Market. Sandwiched between the textiles stalls and the darkly fragrant meat section, this was the home of my ultimate wonton mee. The mee here had all the elements I loved, plus it was topped off with an enriching thick sauce that was, as far as I know, unique to this particular vendor. I’ve tried to replicate this sauce over the years, but never quite got it right – I guess somethings should be left to the professionals!

Midway on my daily cycle between home and school, stopping at the market for a quick bite was part of my morning ritual. Dressed in my school uniform I would sit perched on one of the many battered tin stools; my feet raised above the ever-wet concrete floor, knobbly teenage knees strained against my ill-fitting khaki school trousers. My order placed, I sat eagerly awaiting my wonton mee fix. The meal was always short lived, devoured in a matter of minutes and washed down with a glass of sweet kopi-o ice – there was no better way to start the day! After checking for specks of errant sauce on my white shirt, I would continue on to school, sated and ready to face the high-school dramas that that invariably lay ahead. I can’t say that I miss my school days, but I certainly do miss those morning pitstops at the market!

So this is my muddled take on a true Penang classic!

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Mee Soto

For me, Sunday mornings are all about Sunday lunch.

With little else to distract me, I usually spend my Sunday mornings trawling through my legion of cookbooks searching for a spark of culinary inspiration: that fresh idea; the perfect meal to which I can dedicate these otherwise idle hours to. Alas, more often than not these weekend aspirations come to naught, and instead I find myself reverting to firm favourites for my Sunday feast. Of course there’s nothing wrong with that, but occasionally my lunch musings do hit the mark and I discover a dish I just have to have.

Most recently this inspiration took an Indonesian turn and I found myself dedicating my morning to making a dish I had never actually had before: Mee Soto. Also popular in Malaysia and Singapore, I was of course familiar with this classic Indonesian staple, yet for all my years living in the region it had somehow eluded me. Unfortunately, with a lifetime of local dishes to discover, my 16 years in Malaysia was never going to be enough to try them all! Not one to dwell on missed opportunities, I decided this was the Sunday I finally found out what all the fuss was about!

Rightly framed as the ultimate Indonesian comfort food, Mee Soto is virtually interchangeable with the more widely known Soto Ayam. The soto, or soup, that forms the base of both dishes is almost identical, though the latter is distinctly soupier and is served with either rice vermicelli or compressed rice cakes. As its name suggests, Mee Soto is instead served with heavier, chewier, wheat noodles and considerably less soto – making for a more substantial meal.

With either dish, the soto is undoubtedly the star of the show: fragrant and nourishing, this heady broth is a powerhouse of flavour. Spiked with many of the classic spices associated with regional curries, this chicken broth is flavoursome without being heavy, as it omits coconut milk which is ubiquitous in most local curries. In its absence, however, it is essential to import as much flavour as possible from the chicken. To this end, it is important to use chicken with both skin and bone, or if using skinned boneless chicken, a good stock is required to achieve the requisite depth of flavour.

Another aspect of the broth worth considering is the spice paste – traditionally this is added to the boiling broth without being sautéed first, however I prefer to fry off my spice paste before adding the liquid. Perhaps it is all my years of diligently sautéing my rempah, but it is a habit I find hard to kick as doing so elevates and intensifies the spices – plus I find the flavoured oil adds just a little extra body to the broth.

With all great noodle dishes, toppings are of course essential, but ultimately variable depending on the cook – Mee Soto is no different. The typical garnishes are a collective variation of the following: blanched beansprouts, coriander leaves, garlic chives/spring onions, sliced boiled egg, crispy shallots, and fried potato cakes. Aside from the potato cakes and boiled eggs (which add body to the dish), by all means let your personal taste guide you in your choice of toppings.

To discover other delicious Malaysian recipes from The Muddled Pantry, please click here

Click here for the recipe

Mamak Mee Goreng (Malaysian Indian Fried Mee)

A veritable melting-pot of cuisines, Malaysian food is almost quite entirely a product of fusion. Indeed, like most other confederacies of mostly-migrants, much of modern Malaysia’s food has evolved from the crucible of colonially-induced diversity.

Incubated in the minglings of ethnically-polar groups, Malaysia’s unique schism-cuisines ultimately emerged from these culturally blended kitchens. Chinese noodles discovered Indian spices, whilst Malay ingredients found Western sensibilities; each evolving into their own distinct cultural identities, and ultimately resulting in some of our most acclaimed and cherished dishes. Unfortunately, most of the world has yet to discover the delights of these culinary culminations, but thanks to heritage ambassadors such as Pearly Kee that is beginning to change, with Nyonya flavours (at least) gaining international acclaim. By contrast, however, Mamak food remains relatively unknown outside Malaysia. A marriage of Tamil and Muslim heritage, Mamak food is a heady halal blend of “exotic” spices and local ingredients, and is mostly associated both with the wildly popular Nasi Kandar, Murtabak and, of course, Mamak Mee Goreng.

One of my late father’s favourite roadside treats, Mamak Mee Goreng is a powerhouse of fusion flavour. Consisting of thick yellow noodles fried in a spicy sauce with egg and potato, then lightened with lime – this is a true thug of a dish!

Indeed, this humble meal has it all…quite literally; this is kitchen-sink cooking at its best! With such a dizzying list of ingredients, it is easy to be intimidated, but don’t be. No one version of mamak mee goreng is ever the same, so variations are perfectly acceptable. As long as you stick to a few key ingredients, and nail the sauce, I guarantee you’ll still be tucking into a decent plate of noodles come makan-time.

To discover other delicious Malaysian recipes from The Muddled Pantry, please click here

For other noodles recipes from The Muddled Pantry, please click here

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Penang Hokkien Mee/Har Mee (Prawn Noodles)

When I eventually rule the world, one of my first decrees would be to outlaw throwing your prawn shells away – to do so should be nothing short of criminal! Along with pork and chicken bones, prawn shells are the humble building blocks of that lifeblood of cooking: stock.

A prolific and self-confessed Bone Collector, I freeze every scrap that comes my way; and reckon any home-cook would be remiss if they didn’t have at least one bag of bones lurking in their deep-freeze! For all my boney odds and ends, by far my most prized is my horde of prawn shells.

Pure crustacean gold, these precious cast-offs are where the flavour is really at, and are the foundation of one of my all time favourite dishes – Penang Hokkien Mee. Also known as Har Mee in the rest of Malaysia, this simple prawn noodle dish is a masterstroke of hawker food. Made with a combination of bee hoon (rice vermicelli) and yellow noodles, Penang Hokkien Mee is actually all about the broth.

Made with a base of fried prawn shells and heads, the stock is then lightened with either pork or chicken stock. Add to that a dollop of sambal goreng for kick, and crispy shallots for depth, the broth is almost akin to a bouillabaisse on Asian crack, and its just as addictive!

Like all good stocks, the broth takes its time; but other than that, Penang Hokkien Mee is a surprisingly easy meal to make at home. Though the ingredient list may seem intimidatingly exotic, the dish is actually achievable with even a limited Asian pantry,      I was able to reconstruct this hawker classic without needing any specialist ingredients. Other than substituting the traditional topping of kangkong with watercress, the only challenge you might have is the sambal goreng, but this can easily be made at home. There was a time when crispy shallots/onions were difficult to find in South Africa, but thankfully these days they can be found at Woolworths, saving us the effort of frying our own. The hokkien noodles can be sourced from Checkers, but if you can’t find them, feel free to just use the rice vermicelli on its own.

Aside from that, I suggest you start collecting as many prawn shells and heads as soon as you can – because once you’ve tasted Penang Hokkien Mee, there’s no going back!

To discover other delicious Malaysian recipes from The Muddled Pantry, please click here

For other noodles recipes from The Muddled Pantry, please click here

Click here for the recipe

Japchae 잡채 (Sweet Potato Noodles with Beef & Vegetables)

One of Korea’s most loved dishes, japchae seems to be one of those dishes that can be found almost everywhere and at any time. Be it at breakfast, dinner or at a party, japchae is almost sure to be a feature. Like so many national dishes in Asia, food can represent so much more than just a tasty meal; in the case of japchae it is all about colour and harmony. Translating as “many kinds of various vegetables” japchae is made with the five colours that the Koreans believe reflect obang saek or world harmony to you and me. Each colour symbolises one of the five universal directions – North (black: beef/mushrooms), East (green: courgette/cucumber), South: (red: carrot), West (white: onion) and, most profoundly, the Middle (yellow: egg).

World harmony aside, the best news about japchae is that it is banting and LCHF friendly! Okay, so there is a bit of sugar in the recipe, but at its core japchae’s sweet potato starch noodles are a great low carb alternative to the regular wheat variety and taste infinitely better than courgette noodles.

Noodles without the carb-induced guilt; now what could possibly be better than that?

To be honest I was a bit hesitant about trying japchae when I first encountered it at a breakfast buffet in Seoul. I had tried cooking with Korean sweet potato noodles previously and it was a bit of a disaster, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to give it another go. I’m so pleased that I did! Chewy, beefy and incredibly satisfying; from the first bite I knew japchae was going to be one of the first Korean dishes I would attempt to recreate when I got back to my kitchen in Cape Town.

As it turned out, making japchae at home is relatively easy and aside from the sweet potato noodles themselves, all the ingredients are Asian store-cupboard staples. The only real difficulty is that the numerous components of the dish need to be individually prepared and cooked before being assembled, but other than that it is actually pretty straight-forward. Just don’t be tempted to soak the sweet potato noodles for longer than 30 minutes or overcook them as this will affect their texture.

Most of the japchae I had whilst in Korea actually didn’t contain any meat so if you would like to make a vegetarian version of the dish simply omit the beef. If you do, however, want to make a meat version then you can also substitute the beef steak with some mince instead.

For more Korean recipes from The Muddled Pantry, please click here

For tips on stocking a Korean Pantry, please click here

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