Malaysian Fried Noodles (Mamak Style Mee Goreng)

Malaysian Fried Noodles (Mamak Style Mee Goreng) features yellow noodles, potato and bean sprouts stir-fried in a spicy chili sambal balanced with a sweet sauce mixture. Amazing texture and over-the-top flavor.

One of my favorite childhood memories is the late-night takeaway suppers we used to enjoy at our grandparents’ house. We lived just a short walking distance from some night-time street food vendors.

Some dishes that made a regular appearance at the supper table were Chicken Satay and Western Style Chicken Chop.

However, the dish that I craved most often was Pak Ali’s Mee Goreng (Malaysian Mamak-Style Fried Noodles); less spicy, extra potatoes.

Malaysian Mamak are of Indian-Muslim origin. Their unique food can be found at Mamak stalls all over the country. They are known for dishes like roti canai, nasi lemak, pasembur, and drinks like teh tarik.

These Malaysian Fried Noodles (Mamak Style Mee Goreng) feature fresh yellow noodles, potato and bean sprouts stir-fried over high heat with a spicy chili sambal paste, balanced with a sweet soy sauce mixture (and a hint of tomato). 

A squeeze of fresh lime on the top adds a burst of even more flavor to this amazing dish. 

Since you are making this dish at home, you may add different types of protein such as shrimp or chicken. Most Mamak stalls add squid to this dish so you may wish to do the same.  

Types of Noodles You Can Use for Malaysian Fried Noodles

The most common type of noodle used for this dish is fresh yellow noodles.

When I lived in the States, I would use fresh yakisoba noodles that I purchased at the Asian supermarket for this dish.

Another option is to use instant noodles (minus the flavor packets). They’re a lot thinner and crunchier in texture but they will work. 

You may also use spaghetti in a pinch. Undercook it by a minute or two based on the instructions on the packet so that it does not get too soggy when stir-fried.

How to Make Mamak-Style Mee Goreng

My favorite ingredient in this dish is the potato as its flavor and texture complement the noodles so very well. I recommend using a firmer potato like the Yukon Gold so that it can hold its texture. The first step is to boil the potatoes to ensure that they are cooked all the way through. 

Cut 2 Yukon Gold potatoes into small bite-sized pieces.

First, cut them in half lengthwise, then into wedges, then finally into small bite-sized pieces.

Fill a small saucepan with the potatoes and just enough water to cover them.

Boil for 10 minutes over high heat, or until the potatoes are tender. 

Drain the water and set the potatoes aside.

This recipe calls for 1/2 cup of roasted peanuts. Separate these peanuts into two batches of 1/4 cup each.

The first batch of the roasted peanuts will be finely chopped and used as a topping or garnish, and the remaining batch will be incorporated in the stir-fry chili sambal paste. 

We’ll prepare the finely chopped peanuts (for the garnish/topping) first so that we don’t have to wash the food processor twice (after preparing the sambal paste).

Pour 1/4 cup of roasted peanuts into a food processor. Use the “Pulse” feature to finely chop the peanuts.

Since this batch will be used as a garnish at the end, you can set this aside for now. 

Rise, then soak 1 cup of dried red chili in 1 cup of warm water, and 1 tablespoon of tamarind pulp in 1/2 cup of warm water.

Allow the dried chili and tamarind pulp to soak for about 10 minutes. 

Cut the soaked chilies into approximately 1-inch pieces. As you cut the chilies, rinse the chili seeds out.

I like to cut these chilies right by the kitchen sink so that I can leave the water running at a slow flow – I can easily rinse the seeds off each piece as I cut them. 

Use your fingers to gently squeeze the tamarind pulp to render as much of the juice as possible. Discard the tamarind pulp and the seeds (if any).

Pour all of the tamarind juice into your food processor, along with the soaked red chili, 2 fresh red chilies (cut into 1/2 inch pieces), and the remaining 1/4 cup of roasted peanuts. 

Blend all of these ingredients in your food processor until it forms a thick sambal paste. 

In a separate small bowl, combine 1/4 cup kicap manis (sweet soy sauce), 1/4 cup tomato ketchup and 2 tablespoons light soy sauce.

In place of kicap manis, you can use 3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

Set this sauce mixture aside for now.

In most cases, we heat the wok up to temperature before stir-frying anything in it. For this dish, however, I like to start with a cool wok so that the shallots can gently infuse its flavor in the oil without too much risk of burning. 

Pour 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok along with 3 small shallots that have been very thinly sliced. Turn the heat on to medium-high.

After about 2 – 3 minutes, the oil will start to gently boil and the shallots will start to sizzle. 

When the shallots soften and turn slightly brown, pour all of the prepared sambal paste into the wok. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes. 

Add the potatoes and coat them in the sambal. 

Next, add 1 cup of cubed extra-firm tofu (or sliced fried tofu) to the wok.

Gently stir-fry until all of the tofu and potatoes are coated in the sambal paste. 

If you are adding squid to this recipe, this would be the time to add it to the wok. 

Add 1 lb of fresh yellow noodles (eg: yakisoba noodles) to the wok, followed by the sauce mixture.

Toss until the noodles are evenly coated in the sauce. 

Separate the noodles to make a well in the middle of the wok, and pour 2 eggs (lightly beaten) into the wok. 

Stir-fry to evenly distribute the eggs in the noodles.

Add 1 1/2 cups of fresh bean sprouts to the noodles.

Stir to combine all ingredients. 

Transfer to a serving dish, then top with the finely chopped peanuts, shredded lettuce and lime wedges.

Freshly squeezed lime juice is a crucial component in this dish so don’t forget to serve some extra lime wedges on the side.

Enjoy!

Other noodle recipes you may enjoy:

• Indonesian Fried Noodles (Mie Goreng)

• Japchae (Korean Stir-Fried Glass Noodles)

• Pad Kee Mao (Thai Drunken Noodles)

• Penang Char Koay Teow

• Pad See Ew (Thai Stir-Fried Wide Rice Noodles)

• Pad Thai