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1
Mix the Sauce and Heat the Wok
2 Mins
Wok over highest heat, about 230°C (450°F)
Whisk the sambal, tomato ketchup, kecap manis and light soy sauce together in a small bowl until smooth. Put a large wok over the highest heat your stove can give and let it heat for 2 minutes until a drop of water sizzles away instantly and the wok just begins to smoke. Add the oil and swirl it around the wok — it should shimmer and smoke lightly at once.
If your stove is weak, use a flat-bottomed wok or a large cast-iron pan, and cook only one plate at a time. A wok that is not hot enough is the single biggest reason home mee goreng turns out soggy.
Done when: The sauce is smooth and the wok is smoking faintly with the oil running thin and shimmering.
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2
Fry the Tofu and Prawns
3 Mins
Highest heat, about 230°C (450°F)
Add the tofu cubes in a single layer and fry for 1 minute until the edges turn golden, then push them to the side. Add the prawns in a single layer and let them sit untouched for 30 seconds so they sear, then toss for 1 minute until they turn pink and opaque.
Do not overcook the prawns here — they finish cooking with the noodles in the next step.
Done when: The tofu is golden at the edges and the prawns are pink and opaque all the way through (at least 63°C / 145°F).
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3
Onion, Garlic, Tomato and Lime
2 Mins
Highest heat, about 230°C (450°F)
Add the sliced onion and minced garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute until the onion softens and the garlic smells fragrant. Add the tomato wedges and the juice of half the lime and toss for 1 minute until the tomato just begins to soften at the edges.
Keep the wok moving the whole time. Garlic goes from fragrant to bitter in seconds at this heat.
Done when: The onion is soft and translucent and the garlic is golden and fragrant, never brown.
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4
Add the Noodles and Sauce
3 Mins
Highest heat, about 230°C (450°F)
Add the loosened noodles and pour the sauce evenly over them. Toss and flip with a spatula for 2–3 minutes, pressing the noodles against the hot wok and letting them sit for a few seconds between tosses so the edges char. The noodles should turn glossy and deep reddish gold, with the sauce coating every strand.
Press, rest, toss — the short rests against the hot metal are what build the char. Constant stirring just steams the noodles.
Done when: The noodles are hot through, glossy, lightly charred at the edges, and coated in the red sauce.
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5
Egg, Sprouts and Lime — Then Serve at Once
2 Mins
Highest heat, about 230°C (450°F)
Push the noodles to one side of the wok, pour the beaten eggs into the empty space and scramble them for 20 seconds until just set. Fold the egg through the noodles, add the bean sprouts, and toss for 30 seconds until the sprouts are just warmed but still crisp. Squeeze the remaining lime half over the top if you like it sharper, plate immediately, and scatter over the spring onion.
The egg should be in soft ribbons through the noodles, not a dry omelette — fold it in the moment it sets.
Done when: The egg is fully set in soft ribbons through the noodles and the sprouts are still crisp.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Tip the noodles straight onto warm plates the moment the sprouts are in — mee goreng waits for nobody, and the sauce sets as it sits. Squeeze the lime wedge over the top, scatter over the spring onion, and serve with cucumber and pickled green chillies on the side.
Malaysia
1h 10m
