Stir Fried Instant Noodles 炒即食面

Another weekend with not a particular craving in mind, just anything simple sounds and looks good enough to us as hubby and I are still coping with the overwhelming Thanksgiving dinner. Not keen on neither dining out nor getting myself busy in the kitchen as the weekend approaches its end, I resorted to what most students (despite me being a long gone one *blush*) turn to for an easy meal - instant noodles. My favorite version will be the Maggi mee goreng mamak (fried Maggi noodle à la mamak style) that I particularly loved having at mamak stalls in Malaysia. To catch sight of a packet of those curry flavored Maggi noodles is close to being impossible here where we live, but we have the Indomie instant noodle in abundance here instead. So different brand, different packaging, different taste but same cooking principles - they are basically the instant noodles stir fried using the noodles within the packet.

The Indomie instant noodles come in packages meant to be served as plain fried noodles - simply have them boiled and mixed with the seasonings and voilà - fried noodles delivered as instantly as promised. But while I am all leaning towards an easy night, I am still all in to make our dinner a proper wholesome meal still, or a rather balanced one at least. So with a little extra touch here and there, giving the final appearance a little color and extra flavor, you get a slightly more elaborated version of fried noodles that may leave your guests (in my case my hubby that is lol) not grasping even a trace of anything close to an instant quality after all.

Stir Fried Instant Noodles 炒即食面 
Serves 3
3 packs Indomie Mi Goreng
1/2lb ground pork
8 shrimps (weighing about 1/3lb) shelled and deveined, diced
3 stalks Chinese mustard green (choy sum), washed and trimmed then cut into 1" sections, stems and leaves separated
1 medium-sized red onion, cut into thin wedges
*4 to 5 eggs, beaten with a few dashes of white pepper powder and 1 tsp light soy sauce
5 cloves garlic, minced
1½ tsp light soy sauce 
a pinch of salt and a dash or two of white pepper powder 
2½ tbsps cooking oil
1 egg over easy for each serving (optional)

Meat marinade
few dashes of white pepper powder
2 tsps light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsps corn starch

Shrimp marinade
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp sugar

*Egg yolks to be adjusted according to personal health preference. I had each plate topped with an egg over easy, so I had incorporated just an egg yolk in the beaten egg, discarding the rest.

1. Begin with marinating the meat and diced shrimps.
2. Mix all the liquid seasonings from the noodle packs in a small bowl. To this, add in the dry seasoning and fried shallots that come along with the pack. Whether to use up all the dry seasoning is totally optional. I added just two packs of those which are all good enough to make it great all the same minus a little MSG in the process. Stir to mix well and set aside.
3. Bring a pot of water to boil. On another hand, have a large bowl of cold water ready by the side. Boil the noodles for about 2 minutes, separating the strands as it goes. Drain and transfer to the pool of cold water to halt cooking. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat up a non-stick frying pan with 1/2 tbsp cooking oil. Once heated, add in the beaten egg and let set for a few seconds. Stir and continue folding and breaking regularly until they are all set. Set the scrambled eggs aside.
5. Heat up the wok with the remaining cooking oil over high heat. When well heated, add in the minced garlic and stir fry until aromatic and a little golden brown.
6. Bring in the marinated meat. Stir fry until the color changes, breaking into smaller pieces in the process. Toss in the diced shrimps together with the stems of choy sum and the onions next. Add in a pinch of salt and a dash or two of white pepper powder. Mix well and stir until the shrimp changes color and the stems soften. Add in the leaves next. Stir fry until they appear slightly wilted.
7. Pushing everything to one side, bring in the noodles and add in the seasoning sauce. Using a pair of chopsticks or a fork, mix them up thoroughly and evenly.
8. Mix the noodles with the rest of the ingredients in the wok well. Slowly drizzle in the light soy sauce around the inner rim of the wok. Mix well.
9. Finish by adding in the scrambled eggs, tossing them together to mix well.
10. Serve hot, topped with an egg over easy each optionally.