This is a quick and tasty noodle dish from Indonesia. This particular recipe is from Eleanor Ford’s Fire Islands: Recipes from Indonesia. There’s not a lot to say about this, other than it’s absolutely delicious.
Note that kecap manis is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce that imparts a wonderful flavor to this dish. It’s also perfect for many types of stir-fries and even fried rice. Kecap manis may be difficult to find, so if you can’t find it in your local Asian market, Chinese sweet soy sauce is a fairly close substitute. Or, there are many recipes online for making your own kecap manis.
Enjoy!
What you’ll need:
- 6 oz dried egg noodles (ramen-style work well for this recipe)
- 2 oz sliced and cross-sliced chicken, pork tenderloin or fried tofu (what I used for this)
- 2 small Asian shallots (red ones), sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 large red chili, seeded and sliced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and julienned into matchstick-size pieces
- 2 oz Asian greens of some type, roughly chopped or julienned—kale works, too
- 2 oz cabbage, roughly chopped or julienned
- 2T oil
- 1.5T kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
- 2t soy sauce
- 1t tomato paste
- Crispy-fried shallots for serving
What to do:
Get all your ingredients sliced, measured and ready to go. Once you start cooking, you won’t have time to stop and chop or measure.
Cook the noodles per the package instructions, careful to not overcook them—they should still be chewy. Set aside when cooked and drained.
Put a frypan or preferably a wok over medium-high heat. Heat the oil, then add the chicken (or pork or tofu) and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until cooked through. Push the meat aside and add the shallot and garlic, cooking until they soften, then add the scallions and chili, cooking them for about 20 seconds. Move the meat back into the mix and splash in a bit of water to moisten the meat.
Now add the rest of the chopped veggies and stir-fry them for a bit until they soften. Next, add the noodles and sauces, using tongs to toss and distribute everything in the wok.
Check the seasoning, adding more soy sauce if you want it saltier, more kecap manis to add some sweetness.
Serve hot, liberally topped with crispy-fried shallots.
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