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Mee Goreng

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 16, 2019

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Mee Goreng

Ingredients

1 pound fresh Chinese noodles ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup molasses ¼ cup soy sauce 4 large shallots, 2 minced and 2 sliced thin3 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons sambal oelek chili paste 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubesSalt and pepper 2 tablespoons cornstarch 5 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 pound bok choy, stalks and greens separated and sliced ½ inch thick4 scallions, sliced thin on biasLime wedge

Before You Begin

Don't skip the limes here; they add a welcome acidity that contrasts with the sweet flavors of the sauce. If you cannot find fresh Chinese egg noodles, substitute 12 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine. In order for this recipe to be gluten-free, you must use 12 ounces of dried gluten-free spaghetti or linguine and gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain noodles and set aside.
  2. Whisk sugar, molasses, and soy sauce together in bowl. In separate bowl, combine minced shallots, garlic, and sambal oelek.
  3. Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes. Gently pat tofu dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, then toss with cornstarch in bowl. Transfer coated tofu to strainer and shake gently over bowl to remove excess cornstarch. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add tofu and cook, turning as needed, until crisp and browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to bowl.
  4. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add sliced shallots and cook until golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate.
  5. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add bok choy stalks and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into skillet until fragrant, about 30 seconds; stir into vegetables.
  6. Stir in noodles, tofu, bok choy leaves, and scallions. Whisk sauce to recombine, add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.
Mee Goreng
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Marie Piraino.

Mee Goreng

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 pound fresh Chinese noodles
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup soy sauce
4 large shallots, 2 minced and 2 sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sambal oelek chili paste
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound bok choy, stalks and greens separated and sliced ½ inch thick
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias
Lime wedge

Ingredients

1 pound fresh Chinese noodles
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup soy sauce
4 large shallots, 2 minced and 2 sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sambal oelek chili paste
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound bok choy, stalks and greens separated and sliced ½ inch thick
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias
Lime wedge

Ingredients

1 pound fresh Chinese noodles
¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup soy sauce
4 large shallots, 2 minced and 2 sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons sambal oelek chili paste
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound bok choy, stalks and greens separated and sliced ½ inch thick
4 scallions, sliced thin on bias
Lime wedge

Why This Recipe Works

This one-dish Indonesian favorite features spicy pan-fried noodles with vegetables or meat and shrimp, a special sweet soy sauce, and a garnish of crispy shallots. For our vegetarian version, we kept the ingredients simple, featuring tofu and bok choy along with the traditional fried shallots. To give the dish plenty of spice, we used a hefty amount of sambal oelek (a sauce made from ground chiles without added flavorings). Typically, this dish is made with sweet soy sauce, but we found that using dark brown sugar, molasses, and regular soy sauce was a perfect substitute. Lastly, a squeeze of lime rounded out the spicy and sweet base we had created.

Before You Begin

Don't skip the limes here; they add a welcome acidity that contrasts with the sweet flavors of the sauce. If you cannot find fresh Chinese egg noodles, substitute 12 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine. In order for this recipe to be gluten-free, you must use 12 ounces of dried gluten-free spaghetti or linguine and gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

Instructions

  1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain noodles and set aside.
  2. Whisk sugar, molasses, and soy sauce together in bowl. In separate bowl, combine minced shallots, garlic, and sambal oelek.
  3. Spread tofu over paper towel–lined baking sheet and let drain for 20 minutes. Gently pat tofu dry with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, then toss with cornstarch in bowl. Transfer coated tofu to strainer and shake gently over bowl to remove excess cornstarch. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add tofu and cook, turning as needed, until crisp and browned on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to bowl.
  4. Add 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add sliced shallots and cook until golden, about 5 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate.
  5. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add bok choy stalks and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Clear center of skillet, add garlic mixture, and cook, mashing mixture into skillet until fragrant, about 30 seconds; stir into vegetables.
  6. Stir in noodles, tofu, bok choy leaves, and scallions. Whisk sauce to recombine, add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.

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