Bought prawns, kuchai, and Hokkien mee on sale. Bean sprouts are not on sale. In my freezer, I have fish cakes; in my pantry, I have lup cheong. I learned from my mother, who also learned from both grandmas. Grandma’s ingredients are different from my mom’s and mine. Most ingredients grandma uses aren’t available here: bloody cockles, fish brains, and pig blood in blocks.

Google: “Hokkien mee is a popular Southeast Asian noodle dish, typically a stir-fried dish with thick, yellow noodles, often served with prawns, chicken, or pork, along with other ingredients like fish cakes and vegetables. The main benefits of eating Hokkien mee are its energy-providing nature due to carbohydrates, protein source from ingredients like meat and seafood, and potential for fiber from vegetables, especially if prepared with kangkung (water spinach).”

“”Kucai” refers to Chinese chives, a culinary herb with a mild garlic flavour. Also known as garlic chives, they are a great source of vitamins and antioxidants, with potential benefits including improved heart health, digestive support, and cancer prevention. Chives contain nutrients important for sleep and bone health, and some research suggests they may have anticancer effects.  Chives contain vitamin K, which is important for bone health. Chives have been used in traditional medicines for centuries to treat a variety of conditions, including cancer and sleep disorders.”

My char mee is still satisfying, delicious with just a few ingredients and a tiny bit darker. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients

2 packets Hokkien mee 250 g, blanch in hot boiling water for 1-2 minutes, and drained
2 Tbs minced garlic
20 fresh prawns, shelled and removed veins
3 lup cheong, sliced diagonally
1/2 packet of fish cake thinly slices
400 g fresh bean sprouts, washed, stem removed
3 large eggs
1/2 bunch Asian chives, removed the bottom section and cut into 2-inch lengths
3 Tbs sambal prawns paste (bought, OPT)
oil

Dark sauce

7 Tbs soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbs oyster sauce
1 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs dark caramelised soy sauce
1/2 Tsp salt
6 dashes ground pepper powder
1/2 c water

Method

Mix the dark sauce ingredients together in a bowl. In a shallow pan add 1 Tbs oil and cook lup cheong until brown and cooked. Remove from pan, now add in another 1 Tbs oil and then add prawns, and fish cakes cook until prawns turn orange and fish cake is cooked. Remove and set aside.

Heat wok over high flame until it starts to smoke. Add 2 Tbs oil into wok and add 1 Tbs garlic into the wok and do a quick stir for 10 seconds. Add 2 1/2 Tbs of the prepared sauce into the wok and stir actively to blend well. Add Hokkien mee along with cooked prawns, and fish cakes. Toss them all to mix well.

Using the spatula, push the noodles and the other ingredients to one side, and add a little oil on the empty area in the middle and crack the eggs on it. Use the spatula to break the egg yolks and stir to blend with the egg whites. Flip the noodles and cover the eggs and move it around, chopped eggs until cook about 1 minute. Now add sambal prawns paste if using and pour the remaining sauce in too. Continue to stir cook and make sure the eggs are cooked through. Add Asian chives, and bean shoots; do a couple of quick stirs, dish out and serve immediately. Enjoy with a glass of red wine!!!

Note: my wok can cook for 4 people. If you can’t take too spicy omit sambal prawns paste. Char mee should be medium brown in colour. It shouldn’t be too dark with too much dark soy sauce. You can add more prawns, and fish cakes. Addition to it either pork slices, or beef slices or char siu and green vegetables instead of ku chai such as kang kung, spinach, buk choy, tang oh or choy sum.

https://helenscchin.com/2021/05/20/char-mee-prawns-and-kuchai/

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