Mie Goreng

Name: Mie Goreng
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: indonesian
Ingredients: Vegetable or peanut oil, as needed; 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes, or 8 large peeled, deveined shrimp (about ½ pound), optional; Kosher salt; Ground white pepper; 2 eggs; 1 leek, white and light green part only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced; 2 shallots, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 4 to 6 cherry tomatoes, halved; 6 ounces cooked egg noodles, thin vermicelli or thick, flat rice noodles; 2 tablespoons oyster sauce; 1 to 4 teaspoons store-bought or homemade sambal oelek (optional); 3 tablespoons kecap manis (also sometimes labeled sweet soy sauce, preferably Javanese brands like ABC or Bango; see Tip), plus more to taste; 1 cup chopped green cabbage; 4 bok choy or gai lan (Chinese broccoli), separated into individual stalks; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil; Store-bought or homemade crispy fried shallots, lime wedges and sliced cucumber for serving

Recipe from Zulfikar Fahd

Adapted by Mia Leimkuhler

Updated Dec. 6, 2024

Mie Goreng — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 5(501)
Comments: Read comments

The key to achieving the signature sweet-smoky-salty flavor of Indonesian stir-fried noodles is to let the noodles cook, undisturbed, over high heat until you see small wisps of smoke. Javanese sweet soy sauce, also known as kecap manis, can be very sweet, so giving it a good cook will bring just enough of a bitter edge to its sweetness. If you’re making this dish for a crowd, don’t prepare more than two servings at a time, otherwise the noodles will crowd the pan and not brown properly, and you won’t get that smoky wok hei flavor. But don’t let all of this scare you from making mie goreng. This recipe, from Zulfikar Fahd, the chef and owner of Java Bali Kitchen, an Indonesian pop-up restaurant in Toronto, is satisfying and versatile, a quick and filling meal that uses up the odds and ends in your fridge. —Mia Leimkuhler

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings

Vegetable or peanut oil, as needed
2boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes, or 8 large peeled, deveined shrimp (about ½ pound), optional
Kosher salt
Ground white pepper
2eggs
1leek, white and light green part only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2shallots, chopped
4garlic cloves, chopped
4 to 6cherry tomatoes, halved
6ounces cooked egg noodles, thin vermicelli or thick, flat rice noodles
2tablespoons oyster sauce
1 to 4teaspoons store-bought or homemade sambal oelek (optional)
3tablespoons kecap manis (also sometimes labeled sweet soy sauce, preferably Javanese brands like ABC or Bango; see Tip), plus more to taste
1cup chopped green cabbage
4bok choy or gai lan (Chinese broccoli), separated into individual stalks
1tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Store-bought or homemade crispy fried shallots, lime wedges and sliced cucumber for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat a wok or large cast-iron skillet on high until it’s very hot. (You should be able to hold your hand a few inches above the pan for just a few seconds.) Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil. If using chicken or shrimp, add it to the pan, season with salt and white pepper and cook until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 2
Crack the egg into the wok, seasoning with more salt and white pepper, and scramble together with a spatula until the egg is just cooked. Turn the heat down to medium.
Step 3
Add the leek, shallots and garlic, and stir until they start to soften and are fragrant, about a minute more.
Step 4
Add the cherry tomatoes and egg noodles, and season with salt and white pepper. Stir until everything is combined. Stir in the oyster sauce and optional sambal oelek. If the noodles stick to the wok, add another tablespoon of oil.
Step 5
Turn the heat to high, then add the kecap manis and quickly stir everything to combine. Let cook, undisturbed, over high heat until you see small wisps of smoke coming out of the noodles, about 1 minute, then stir again. The noodles will begin to turn darker in color and caramelize, taking on a smoky flavor called wok hei. Repeat this process, scraping the sides of your wok in between, until at least half the noodles are darkened, but not burned, 2 to 5 minutes more. Taste, adding more salt, white pepper and sweet soy sauce if needed.
Step 6
Add the cabbage and bok choy and stir until combined. Turn off the heat and drizzle with the sesame oil.
Step 7
Top each serving with crispy fried shallots and serve with lime wedges and cucumber slices.

Tip

Kecap manis, or sweet soy sauce, can be found in Asian grocery stores. You can also make your own with this recipe from the chef Lara Lee: In a medium saucepan, bring ¾ cup light soy sauce or gluten-free tamari with 1¼ packed cups palm sugar or light or dark brown sugar to a simmer over medium. Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture thickens to the texture of maple syrup, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to a few weeks. Makes about ¾ cup.

Ratings

5 out of 5

501 user ratings

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Comments

Zulfikar Fahd6 months ago

Hi, I’m the recipe developer! In my experiences (I make about 20 of these on a daily basis for my job), adding the bok choy/Chinese brocoli and cabbage on Step 6 perfectly cooks them, as they’re quite thin and the wok/pan is extremely hot & smoky. You’re very welcome put them in at the same time as the cherry tomatoes (Step 4), however, they’ll be a little less crunchy. Then crunch gives this dish diverse textures: soft noodles & egg and crispy (but cooked) vegetables. Either you put the veggies in during Step 4 or Step 6, this one-pan dish will still be wonderful! ❤️

Patricia C6 months ago

I am waiting for people to weigh in on using tofu instead of meat.

Shysinger6 months ago

So you never cook the cabbage and bok Choi? Just add them raw? Nothing wrong with raw vegetables, just sounds like an unusual texture compared to the soft eggs and noodles.

Peter1 month ago

Have noticed in my local Indonesian & Thai restaurants, once the wok is very hot the cook drops in a small amount of oil (less than a teaspoon) & lets it burn off to get a smokey flavour before they add the first ingredients.

Jim1 month ago

I am trying tempeh as a meat substitute. I recently made a wonderful tempeh kechup manis recipe from NY Times, so I figure this substitution will work well.

Maggie1 month ago

To those seeking a gluten-free product, I just picked up some Kikkoman Sweet Soy Sauce For Rice at a small Asian market. It is labeled gluten free and the ingredients list affirms that. I'm not gluten-intolerant or have celiac disease, it was just a much smaller bottle than the restaurant-sized bottle they also sold. When I was in Indonesia a few years ago I ate mie goreng every day for breakfast for three weeks, even when it wasn't on the menu. So happy I can start making if for myself now.

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