Mie Goreng is a type of Indonesian fried noodle that is a popular one-dish meal in both Indonesia and Malaysia. Made with egg noodles and sweet or light soy sauce, spices and vegetables are also usually included in this dish. Traditionally, mie goreng is sold wrapped in banana leaves. Indonesia also has a packaged instant version of this dish called Mindomie Mi Goreng.
Normally made with thin egg noodles, packaged instant ramen noodles can be substituted in this dish. A spice paste may be prepared by hand, using garlic cloves, shallots, candlenuts, and white pepper seeds, but when made at home, spices are often added separately and are not combined into a paste. Onions, celery, green cabbage or lettuce, and some kind of chili peppers are also common ingredients. Many recipes fry the meal in peanut oil, but another type of cooking oil also may be used.
Many recipes also include bean sprouts, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, or broccoli in their vegetable choices. Shallots may be substituted for the onions or included with them. Ginger may also be added, and certain chili pastes will make the dish spicier if desired. Most recipes suggest using salt and pepper to taste.
Meat is often added in this dish. Shrimp is popular, but pork, beef, and chicken may also be included. When making vegetarian versions of mie goreng, tofu works well as a substitute meat choice. If shrimp is used, shrimp paste is often included in the recipe.
Traditionally garnished with a shredded omelet or fried egg in nicer Indonesian restaurants, cheaper version of mie goreng might be garnished with pickled shallots or onions. When making the dish at home, there are a variety of garnishing choices. Fried onions, cucumbers, and green onions are all popular mie goreng garnish options.
To prepare mie goreng, the noodles should be boiled first and set aside. Once the noodles are cooked, oil is heated in a pan or a wok. Then, each addition — spices, meat, vegetables — is added to the pan and stir-fried for two or three minutes before the next addition is added. Often in stir fries, uncooked meat is browned before beginning the stir frying process to ensure it is completely cooked.
The cooked noodles are then added to the dish, immediately followed by the soy sauce. Noodles should only been cooked long enough to warm and to combine the ingredients thoroughly. Stir frying for too long risks overcooking the noodles, which ruins the dish.
