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Vegetable Hokkien mee
Kuala Lumpur's black, glossy braised noodles with mushrooms, tofu puffs and choy sum
In Kuala Lumpur, Hokkien mee means thick yellow noodles braised in a dark, caramel-sweet soy sauce until they turn almost black, a late-night hawker dish that Petaling Street and Jalan Alor stalls still cook over roaring flames long after midnight. The originals carry pork, prawns and crisp lard; ours uses meaty shiitake, tofu puffs that drink up the sauce, cabbage and choy sum, with fried shallots for the crunch the lard would give. It's smoky, salty-sweet and very slurpable. Chef's tip: let the noodles braise until the sauce has thickened and clings to every strand, with only a spoonful left in the wok.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 3
Ingredients
For the sauce
For the noodles
To serve
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Stir 3 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp vegetarian stir-fry sauce, 1 tsp sugar and ½ tsp white pepper into 1 ¼ cups vegetable stock. Loosen 14 oz thick yellow wheat noodles by rinsing briefly in hot water and shaking dry.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a high heat. Fry 5 cloves garlic for 20 seconds until pale gold, then add 5 ½ oz fresh shiitake mushrooms and fry for 2–3 minutes until browned at the edges and smelling meaty.
3 minStep 3: Add 3 ½ oz tofu puffs and 3 ½ oz white cabbage and toss for 1 minute, then add the noodles and toss for another minute so they pick up a little char.
2 minStep 4: Pour in the sauce mixture, bring to a lively bubble and braise for 4–5 minutes on a medium-high heat, tossing often, until the noodles are tender and almost black. The common mistake is serving it soupy: keep going until most of the liquid is absorbed.
5 minStep 5: Add 7 oz choy sum and the 1 tsp cornflour slurry and toss for 1–2 minutes, until the greens are bright and the sauce is glossy and coats the noodles.
2 minStep 6: Pile onto plates, scatter with 3 tbsp crispy fried shallots and serve hot with 3 tbsp sambal tumis or chilli sauce and 1 lime.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does vegetable Hokkien mee take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 3 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 dark soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of light soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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