Kolo mee
Kolo mee — Kuching's springy dry-tossed egg noodles with shallot oil, minced pork and char siu
MalaysianAsk anyone from Kuching what they miss most and the answer is usually kolo mee, a bowl that looks almost too simple: curly, springy egg noodles tossed in fragrant shallot oil, a little soy and white pepper, then crowned with savoury minced pork and slices of char siu. There is no thick gravy and no chilli on top; the flavour is clean, porky and aromatic, and the texture is the whole point, each strand bouncy and separate. Stalls often add a dash of red char siu oil for the 'red' version. It is eaten at any hour with a small bowl of clear soup and pickled green chilli on the side. Chef's tip: cook the noodles in small portions in a big pot of fiercely boiling water and shake them really dry; any leftover water dilutes the shallot oil.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the shallot oil
- ½ cup vegetable oilor half lard, half oil
- 8 shallotsthinly and evenly sliced
For the minced pork
- 9 oz minced pork
- 2 cloves garlicminced
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce1 tbsp for the pork, 2 tbsp for the noodles
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
For the noodles
- 1 tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 7 oz char siu (Chinese roast pork)thinly sliced
- 7 oz choy sumcut into short lengths
- 3 spring onionsfinely chopped
To serve
- 4 tbsp pickled green chillies (optional)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)a drop per bowl, Kuching-style
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put ½ cup vegetable oil and 8 shallots in a cold wok, then heat over a medium heat. Fry, stirring, for 8–10 minutes until the shallots are evenly light golden. Strain at once; they keep darkening off the heat. Keep the oil and the crisp shallots separately.
10 minStep 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of the shallot oil in the wok over a medium-high heat. Fry 2 cloves garlic for 20 seconds, then add 9 oz minced pork and break it up finely.
1 minStep 3: Add 1 tablespoon of the 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp sugar and 3 tablespoons of water. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until the pork is cooked through with no pink (160°F/160 °F) and coated in a little glossy sauce. Wash the board you used for the raw pork.
6 minStep 4: In each serving bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of shallot oil, the rest of the 2 tbsp light soy sauce divided between the bowls, 1 tsp ground white pepper and ½ tsp salt.
Step 5: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Blanch 7 oz choy sum for 1 minute and lift out.
1 minStep 6: Cook the 14 oz fresh thin curly egg noodles (kolo mee or wonton noodles) one portion at a time for 40–60 seconds, until just tender but still springy. Lift out with a strainer and shake hard until no more water drips. Skipping that shake is the usual mistake: watery noodles turn limp and bland.
4 minStep 7: Drop each portion straight into its bowl and toss quickly with chopsticks until every strand is coated and glossy.
Step 8: Top with the minced pork, slices of 7 oz char siu (Chinese roast pork), the greens, crisp shallots and 3 spring onions. Serve with pickled chillies, a few drops of vinegar if you like, and a small bowl of clear soup.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 640 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kolo mee take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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