The Difference Between Mi Goreng and Mie Goreng

Stephen here.

When you bring up the term Mie Goreng (also spelt Mee Goreng or Mi Goreng) an individual’s mind will automatically flicker to the instant noodle snack by IndoMie. However, Mie Goreng is also a famous dish with origins from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, which is composed of thin noodles with other ingredients varying from place to place as well as individuals (it is usually composed of garlic, onion, fried shrimp, vegetables and chilli). 

It is believed that the dish was derived from the Chow mein dish from China and was introduced to Indonesia by Chinese immigrants.  This dish has a heavy presence in Indonesian cuisine, and can be found from street-side stores to high-end restaurants.

The instant noodles packet is a very popular product around the world, especially in Australia and New Zealand.   However, a few people have concerns with the ingredients of this instant noodle.  Other than containing a large amount of salt, there are also a number of preservatives and flavour enhancers (including monosodium glutamate, commonly known as MSG, in three forms: L-Monosodium glutamate [621], 5’-Disodium guanylate [627] and 5’-Disodium inosinate [631]).  Although the term MSG sparks fear in the eyes of many westerners, this compound has no conclusive evidence of actually causing any health issues.  In my opinion, MSG is in fact a safe compound, which is found naturally in many foods and fresh produce.  If one was to avoid MSG then they would be depriving themselves of many foods and dishes, including hard cheeses, tomatoes and their products, certain sauces and store bought stocks.  To back these statements up the food writer Jeffery Steingarten has titled a report “Why Doesn’t Everyone in China Have a Headache?” , since MSG has been marketed and used in cooking in Asian countries since 1908 and is used to a similar extent that salt is in a western kitchen.

Here is a recipe for Mie Goreng that I have been cooking for a good five or so years:

Mee Goreng

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

• 600g fresh hokkien noodles.
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil.
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten.
• 500g beef, trimmed and cut into thin strips.
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed or minced.
• 2cm fresh ginger, finely grated.
• 4 spring onion bulbs or 1 large brown onion, sliced thinly.
• ¼ cup kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) (may need more according to taste)
• ¼ cup beef stock
• Fresh vegetables, including a carrot, washed, peeled and Julienned; broccoli or broccolini, washed and trimmed accordingly; 2 baby bok choy, washed and roughly chopped; and snow peas, washed.
• Optional: ¼ cup fresh coriander, washed and coarsely chopped; 2 tablespoons dried shrimp; sambal oelek or chilli flakes, to taste; and 75g unsalted peanuts, toasted, coarsely chopped.

 

1.       Coat the meat in the garlic and ginger and marinate for at least two hours.

2.       When ready place the noodles in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and pull noodles apart with a fork.  Leave to sit according to manufacturers’ guidelines or until the noodles are heated through and soft, then drain.

3.       Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of the oil on medium heat in a large wok.  Cook the egg until the mixture has just cooked through.  Remove the omelette from the wok, roll and cut into thin slices.

4.       Add a tablespoon of oil in the wok and stir-fry half of the meat. Once brown set to the side and repeat, adding the last of the oil before the second batch of meat.  Remove second batch of meat.

5.       In the same wok, add the onion and stir-fry until softened then add the vegetables and stir-fry until the bok choy has wilted.

6.       Combine the meat, noodles, kecap manis, stock, coriander, shrimp, and sambal oelek or chilli flakes. If required add more kecap manis to taste and to form a sauce. Mix well and heat up the contents of the wok.

7.       Serve, topped with the sliced omelette and peanuts.

8.       And enjoy.

Comments

[Stephen]

Jasmyne i think our chopping board is going to be famous one day, its made a presence in ever blog post since i bought it. I should hold onto it when we need to change it, might be worth a lot of money one of these days.

[Green Tea For Life]

That dish looks so good - I'm going to try making it. Thanks for the detailed instructions.