Indonesian Style Longevity Noodles (Bakmi Goreng Imlek)

Indonesian Style Longevity Noodles ( Bakmi Goreng Imlek )

This street food staple has a long history of the Chinese influence that makes up the tapestry of Indonesian cuisine. This one is my own version coming from the  Javanese region as it is characterized by the use of sweet soy sauce as the key ingredient.

Longevity noodles is one of the staple dishes in the Chinese Lunar New Year banquet. This is something I love to whip up whether its a weeknight, with simpler proteins such as eggs and chicken or dressed up as part of a  celebration such as birthdays or Chinese Lunar New Year complete with pork belly, shrimp and quail eggs.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients :

1/2 lb fresh egg noodles ( I prefer fresh)

1 tbs sesame oil

12 quail eggs - boiled for 2-3 minute and peeled

1/4 lb of fresh pork belly diced   

4 eggs - slightly whipped

12 - 14 whole medium shrimp, peeled & deveined ( I prefer intact with head and skin on )

4 stalks scallions- chopped fine

1/4 c chopped cilantro

1/2 lb baby bok choy cut lengthwise

1/4 lb shredded carrots or red bell peppers

Sauce :

3 Garlic cloves chopped

1 tbs Sesame Oil

1 tbs Peanut oil / Avocado oil /Grapeseed oil

2 tbs or more to taste  Indonesian  *Sweet Soy sauce

1 tbs Soy Sauce

1 tsp Oyster sauce

2 tbs Fish sauce

1/4 cup Stock of your choice  

Salt

White Pepper

Garnish

-Lime wedge

-*Fried shallots

-*Sambal Oelek hot sauce

Directions :

Boil water in a stock pan, add a pinch of salt and 1 tbs of sesame oil. Drop the egg noodles and cook according to package direction or if using fresh cook for one minute. Strain noodles and set aside. Boil the quail eggs 2-3 minutes in the same water. Drain, peel eggs. Set aside. Heat wok until smoky ( cast iron pan is a great substitute ) . Add diced pork belly, cook  until fat is rendered about 4 mins. Remove browned pork belly, leave remaining pork fat in pan, add 1 tbs of sesame oil and peanut oil.

Drop the slightly whipped egg into the oil, cook until it bubbles and similar to omelet ( about 1 minute ) break apart. Drain from wok, set aside.

With the remaining oil, add chopped garlic, cook until fragrant, add all the soy sauces, oyster sauce, fish sauce and the stock, cook until it bubbles. Add shrimp, add back the belly & broken eggs. Sautee in wok until the sauce coats all the protein, season with salt & white pepper . Add cooked noodles, and chopped baby bok choy and carrots. Fry noodles until its caramelized from the sauce, and the noodles are seared. Finish off  with scallions and cilantro and quail eggs.

Serve garnished with a wedge of lime, sambal oelek, and sprinkling of fried shallots.

Ingredients note *

Sweet Soy sauce can be gotten in any South East Asian food market .

https://www.indofoodstore.com/sweet-soy-sauce-plastic-container.aspx

or my favorite brand which is Gluten Free - Bango Brand https://www.indofoodstore.com/sweet-soy-sauce-by-kecap-bango-9-2-fl-oz.aspx

Fried Shallots and sambal oelek can be gotten at any asian supermarkets.