Yaki-Soba (Stir-Fried Noodles) with Grilled Lamb

I make sure to always replenish the supply of fresh soba (fresh noodles, more commonly known as mee kuning in Malaysia) in my fridge. Unlike the dried varieties of noodles (including the various pastas) that requires cooking the noodles prior to the cooking process, fresh soba is ready to use…from the fridge straight to the pan!

If you are a lover of noodles (doesn’t matter which types…flat, thin, broad, fine, fresh and dried), you know that there are no limits in trying to create a delicious dish. You can combine just about anything (edible!) with your noodles to please your palate.

Hailing from Malaysia, noodles have always been a big part of my diet. This is not the case with my hubby. So when we first got married and I stocked up our fridge/pantry with all the various noodles available, hubby was a little skeptical – “please don’t bore me with noodles!” Now it’s a different story altogether; he wants noodles for dinner at least twice a week! Little junior is a fan of noodles too…

We bought some boneless lamb steaks the other day for lamb curry (to be posted later). I kept a slice of the steak for this dish: I seasoned the lamb simply with salt and pepper and grilled it and later cut it into slices.

Alongside, I stir-fried my soba with garlic, onion, red pepper flakes (for the added oomph) and some seasonings. When the noodles were ready, I added the grilled lamb slices and stirred on to make sure the noodles and the lamb slices are fully combined – so that the juices of the tender lamb infuse the soba.

Get creative with your noodles and ‘hear’ your belly smile!

Shrimp-Flavored Rice Noodles

Of all the noodles varieties, my favorite is kway teow (flat rice noodles). The taste, texture and shape of these noodles are very much similar to pad thai (Thai cuisine). The most famous dish in Malaysia using this type of rice noodles is indeed char kway teow: the halal version of char kway teow is rice noodles fried with soy sauce, chili paste, prawns, cockles, eggs and bean sprouts and chives.

It’s actually a treat watching the dish being prepared by the hawker, in restaurants and even at pasar malams (night markets), using very well seasoned and huge kualis. However, while ordering our plate of char kway teow at these places, we make sure to request for the use of lesser oil as this dish tends to be more on the oilier side.

My own version of these noodles is flavored with fresh as well dried shrimps and eggs. I always like adding a handful of dried shrimps (I usually pound them together with garlic) because they add a very nice Malaysian flavor to some selected dishes. I also use extra chili paste (coz we like everything spicier!) which is why it is less darker than the regular char kway teow and a handful of shredded carrots at the end (a little out of the norm) to replace the crunchy effect of bean sprouts.

'Maggi' Goreng: Fried Instant Ramen Noodles

‘Maggi’ is actually the brand name of instant noodles that is popular in Malaysia. In the U.S, one may find ‘Maggi’ brand instant noodles only in Indian stores. In regular American grocery stores, ‘Maruchan’ or 'Nissin' are the more popular instant noodles’ brand. Although now we have cut back a lot on the consumption of instant noodles, 'Maggi' instant noodles were a staple food during our varsity years.

'Maggi' goreng has got to be one of the famous fares of a Malaysian mamak stall (sidewalk food vendors)– it was mine for sure! It is basically taking the regular packets of instant noodles to a different level by frying it with eggs and chicken and sauces other than the one included in the original packets themselves.

What I have done here with my instant ramen noodles packets is to take it to a more gourmet level. I wanted to have a simple yet complete dinner and so I cooked my instant noodles in boiling water, tossed them out of the water and then fried the noodles with some onions, boneless chicken pieces, mushrooms, mixed vegetables and added a couple of dashes of oyster sauce, mushroom sauce on top of the provided sauce packets (for every two packets of instant noodles, I usually just use one of the provided sauce packets) and some chili powder for extra spice.