Mie Jawa (Javanese Fried Or Boiled Noodles)
For Bakmie Goreng, to serve three or four people, you need:
250 g (8 oz) egg noodles
90 g (3 oz) topside of beef or pork fillet
60 g (2 oz) shrimps or prawns
5 shallots
2 clove garlic
3 kemiri (candlenuts-optional)
2 tomatoes
3 tsp dark soya sauce
2 medium-sized carrots
90 g (3 oz) beansprouts
2 cabbage leaves
4 spring onions
Vetsin (Accent, or monosodium glutamate)
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil or pork fat
Seledri (flat-leaved parsley) and fried onions for garnishing
Put the noodles into salted boiling water and boil them for 5 minutes (or according to the instruction on the packet). Turn them out of the saucepan into a colander and hold them under cold running water for a few seconds, then leave to drain. Cut the beef or pork into a small pieces. Slice the shallots finely. Crush the kemiri and garlic into a smooth paste.
Clean the beansprouts, peel and slice the carrots into thin rounds, and shred the cabbage coarsley. Chop the spring onions. Peel, seed and chop the tomatoes.
In a wok, heat 2 tablespoonfuls of oil or pork fat. Saute the shallots for 1 minute. Add the ken=miri and garlic paste, the cut-up meat, and the shrimps or prawns. Continue stir-frying for 2 minutes, then add the shredded cabbage an carrots and go on stirring for about 4 minutes. Add the noodles and beansprouts and keep on stirring for another 3 minutes; next, add the soya sauce, chopped tomatoes, and spring onions. Season with salt, pepper and vetsin and carry on stirring and frying until the noodles are really hot. Garnish with parsley and fried onions, and serve immediately.
For Bakmie Godog, the ingredients will be enough for five or six people, but you will also about 800 ml (1.5 pints) of good stock.
Follow the method for Bakmie Goreng up to the point where the cabbage and carrots have just been put in. Now add the stock, soya sauce and chopped tomatoes. You can transfer the whole lot from the wok to saucepan if you want to; but the usual practice is to boil up the soup in the wok. Let this soup simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the noddles, beansprouts and choped spring onions. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes on a high flame. Serve immediately in soup-plates, garnished with parsley and fried onions.
