KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Being a very patriotic Sarawakian, I was once asked to justify my love for this state. One of my reasons? The culinary awesomeness in Sarawak, of which the kolo mee reigns on the top of the list.

This delightful combination of flash-boiled noodles, served with some crushed garlic and shallots, minced pork and shreds of sweet, succulent pork. Guaranteed to satisfy just about anyone’s noodle cravings.

The secret to amazing kolo mee lies in the use of pork lard. I know this is not very healthy if eaten in large quantities but the reason why it’s used is because it coats each and every strand of the noodles with some seriously delicious meaty flavours.

Of course you could substitute the pork lard with peanut oil or vegetable oil if you want to, but you’re losing out on all the flavours if you do so.

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Although the springy noodles resemble instant noodles, they’re actually egg noodles. Some people might confuse this dish with wantan mee, but while the wantan mee is drenched in dark soy sauce and served with soup, kolo mee is only lightly drizzled with fish sauce, shallots and a “speck” of MSG (Monosodium Glutamate).

Although MSG has a bad name in the community, used in the right quantity it actually enhances the flavour present in the dish. This is one ingredient where using more doesn’t mean it further enhances your dish, however it may cause adverse side effects.

Due to its widespread popularity, the kolo mee is a favourite at all times of the day, be it breakfast, lunch, dinner and even supper!

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Kolo Mee

Preparation time: 10 minutes + 6 hours to marinade Chinese BBQ pork

Cooking time: <5 minutes + 1.5 hours to cook Chinese BBQ pork

Serves 6

6 bundles of fresh good quality egg noodles
Chinese BBQ pork, recipe here
2 stalks boiled choy sum vegetables, cut into 1 inch lengths
6 shallots, skin removed and finely sliced
2 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
6 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pork lard
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
1 tablespoon brown vinegar
dash of pepper
finely chopped spring onions for garnish

1. Heat a wok over high heat and when hot, add vegetable oil and pork lard.

2. Add shallots and saute until crispy over low heat. Put crispy fried shallots and oil in separate bowls.

3. Using shallot oil, add fish sauce, chicken bouillon, MSG, dark vinegar, light soy sauce and pepper. Mix well.

4. Meanwhile, cook fresh egg noodles 1 bundle at a time in a large pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Have a bowl of cold water ready in a pot nearby and dip cooked noodles in cold water straight after.

5. Add 1.5 tablespoon oil (from step 3) into a clean bowl. Add cooked noodles straight into the bowl and coat well with a pair of chopsticks.

6. Add slices of BBQ pork and boiled choy sum vegetables to the well coated noodles.

7. Garnish with spring onions and fried shallots.

8. Repeat step 5-7.

For more recipes, please go to www.chopstickdiner.com