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Singapore breakfast fried bee hoon
Chǎo mǐfěn (炒米粉): plain soy-fried rice vermicelli with cabbage and bean sprouts, the economy-stall breakfast
Before office hours in Toa Payoh or Ang Mo Kio, the economy-rice stalls already have a steel tray of pale-brown fried bee hoon on the counter, and people point at it, then add a side or two from the trays beside it: a fried egg, fried tofu, braised cabbage, a curry potato. The noodles themselves are kept deliberately simple, springy and lightly savoury from soy sauce, threaded with cabbage, carrot and crunchy bean sprouts, then finished with a spoon of sambal chilli. Because it is plain, every strand needs to be seasoned evenly and still separate. The usual mistake is over-soaking the vermicelli, which then clumps and breaks in the wok; soak it only until bendy. Chef's tip: toss the noodles with tongs or chopsticks in a lifting motion rather than stirring with a spatula, so the soy coats every strand without breaking it.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the noodles
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic clovesfinely chopped
- 7 oz white cabbagefinely shredded
- 1 carrotcut into thin matchsticks
- 5 ½ oz bean sproutstails picked if you have time
- 3 spring onionscut into 3 cm lengths
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauceor 1 extra tsp light soy sauce and a pinch of sugar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper
- ¾ cup water
To serve
- 4 tbsp vegan sambal chilli (no shrimp paste) (optional)
- 2 tbsp crisp fried shallots (optional)
- 8 fried tofu puffs (optional)halved
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Soak 9 oz dried thin rice vermicelli (bee hoon) in a large bowl of room-temperature water for 8–10 minutes, until soft and bendy but still a little firm in the centre. Drain well in a colander and shake off the water.
10 minStep 2: Mix 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, ¼ tsp ground white pepper and ¾ cup water in a jug.
Step 3: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Fry 4 garlic cloves for 30 seconds, until fragrant and just turning golden.
Step 4: Add 7 oz white cabbage and 1 carrot and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until the cabbage wilts and turns glossy.
3 minStep 5: Add the drained vermicelli and pour the sauce over it. Toss with tongs, lifting and turning, for 3–4 minutes over a medium heat, until the liquid is absorbed and every strand is evenly light brown.
4 minStep 6: If the noodles look dry or catch on the wok, splash in 2–3 tbsp more water; if they look wet, keep tossing over a higher heat for another minute.
Step 7: Add 5 ½ oz bean sprouts and 3 spring onions and toss for 1 minute, just until the sprouts lose their raw edge but still snap. Taste and add a dash more soy if needed.
1 minStep 8: Pile onto plates and scatter with 2 tbsp crisp fried shallots. Serve with 4 tbsp vegan sambal chilli (no shrimp paste) and 8 fried tofu puffs, or whatever sides you like, as at an economy-rice stall.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does singapore breakfast fried bee hoon take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
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