Mie goreng in a restaurant in Jakarta | |
Alternative names | Bakmi goreng, bami goreng, mi goreng |
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Type | Noodle |
Course | Main course |
Place of origin | Indonesia[1] |
Region or state | Nationwide |
Serving temperature | Hot |
Main ingredients | Fried noodles with chicken, meat or prawn |
Mie goreng (Indonesian: mie goreng or mi goreng; meaning "fried noodles"[2]), also known as bakmi goreng,[3] is an Indonesian style of stir-fried noodle dish. It is made with thin yellow noodles stir fried in cooking oil with garlic, onion or shallots, fried prawn, chicken, beef, or sliced bakso (meatballs), chili, Chinese cabbage, cabbages, tomatoes, egg, and other vegetables. Ubiquitous in Indonesia, it is sold by food vendors from street-hawkers, warungs, to high-end restaurants.
In Indonesia, where mie goreng is one of the most widespread simple dishes, the dish's origin is clearly associated with Chinese Indonesian cuisine.[1] Chinese influences are evident in Indonesian food such as bakmi, mie ayam, pangsit, bakso, lumpia, kwetiau goreng, and mie goreng.[4] The dish is derived from Chinese chow mein and believed to have been introduced by Chinese immigrants in Indonesia. Despite being influenced by Chinese cuisine, mie goreng in Indonesia has a definite Indonesian taste and has been heavily integrated into Indonesian cuisine,[5] through, for example, the application of sweet soy sauce that adds mild sweetness,[6]a sprinkle of fried shallots, and spicy sambal. Pork and lard are eschewed in favour of shrimp, chicken, or beef to cater to the Muslim majority.
Mie goreng is traditionally made with yellow wheat noodles, stir-fried with chopped shallots, onion, and garlic with soy sauce seasoning, egg, vegetables, chicken, meat or seafood. However, other versions might use dried instant noodles instead of fresh yellow wheat noodles. A common practice in Indonesia is the inclusion of the powdered instant noodle seasonings, along with egg and vegetables. Authentic mie goreng uses fresh ingredients and spices; however, bottled instant spice paste might be used for practical reasons.[7]
The almost identical recipe is often used to create other dishes. For example, bihun goreng is made by replacing yellow wheat noodles with bihun or rice vermicelli, while kwetiau goreng uses shahe fen or thick flat rice noodles instead.
A number of mie goreng variants exist. In Indonesia mie goreng variants are usually named after the ingredients, while some might be named after the region of origin.
Indonesians tend to name similar foreign dishes as mie goreng, for example in Indonesia, chow mein is often called mie goreng Tionghoa and yakisoba is called mie goreng Jepang.