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Malaysia, April 6, 2011 FRIED noodles is an Asian staple. For breakfast, lunch and dinner. Or as an anytime snack when the little hungries hit. Mee goreng, char mee, chau mien... whatever you call it, I can never resist a plate of fried noodles. One of my favourites is Indian mee goreng, Penang-style, also known as kelinga mee (Indian mee) to Penangites. This is distinctly different from Indian mee goreng elsewhere, like the Klang Valley for instance, though the main ingredient is yellow flour noodles. On the island, the noodles are fried with a variety of sauces that include sauce from stewed dried squid. Then there is a thick tomato gravy for that slightly piquant taste. And most popular stalls use a third gravy that's been handed down the generations. A secret recipe of sorts. The noodles are fried with soft, deep fried fritters (for some strange, inexplicable reason, these are known in Hokkien dialect as niao chu cheen or deep fried mice), boiled potatoes, pan fried tofu and squid. Sambal is added to give it a big kick. When done, the noodles are topped with chopped lettuce, fried shallots and ground peanuts. A wedge of lime is placed at the side and customers squeeze lime juice into the noodles before eating. Kelinga mee is an explosive mouthful of sweet, hot and tangy flavours with a nutty, citrusy edge. Best fried over a charcoal fire, the timing and skill of the operator is also imperative. The noodles must not be too dry. Yet, it should not be too soft and drenched in gravy. Blanched, not fried Mee goreng sellers also offer mee rebus. The noodles and beansprouts are blanched and topped with fried fritters, boiled potatoes, boiled egg, tofu and squid. Then a gravy is poured over and sambal added. The secret's in the gravy. In Penang, the gravy is made with sweet potatoes, not dhall. And tomato puree gives it a distinct flavour and red colour. But don't be misled by the hue. It's hardly lethal. It's tamely docile unless you add sambal. I've been patronising three stalls with regularity. Not that I don't give the rest a chance but most new places I drop in at on a whim fail to measure up. Wok-ing in Jelutong: Hussain Mee Goreng Hussain Mee Goreng opens only from noon, after the morning market folk have packed up for the day. At the wok these days is Hussain's son Tahir. He may look a softie in his geeky-looking spectacles but Tahir works those muscular arms as he fries non-stop till he's finished for the day. Very quickly, his clean pots are dotted with splattering from the wok as he fries with concentrated fury. The mee goreng is fragrant with his family recipe for the sambal and gravy. "I grind my own chilli. I never use chilli boh," he tells me in fluent Hokkien dialect. Location: Corner of Jalan Penaga and Jalan Jelutong. From RM2.50 (S$1). Closed Friday. Going strong still: Bangkok Lane Mee Goreng In Pulau Tikus on the northern side, Mahboob Zakaria rules as king of mee goreng, twirling the huge wok like a top as he fries. It's his signature style and an amusing sideshow that takes the mundane out of the waiting. He has been frying noodles since he was a boy learning the trade from his father. Today, he's watching history repeat itself as his own son learns the ropes. There is always a queue waiting. Sadly, when the queue gets really long, Mahboob fries too many servings all at once and distribution of the condiments can get a little unbalanced. At times too, the squid tastes rubbery and chewy. But the taste and flavour are unbeatable. Location: Seng Lee Cafe at the corner of Jalan Burma and Bangkok Lane. From RM5. Closed Monday. Squid sambal please: Hameed 'Pata' Special Mee Goreng In the older part of the island is a stall that holds a spot close to my heart... or should we say, stomach. The setting is reminiscent of halcyon days, especially if you sit at stone tables under the majestic trees and listening to the slightly distant sound of waves breaking on the dyke. The stall, started by Shahul Hameed's grandfather, Syed Mohamed, opens from noon to about 6pm. What makes the mee goreng so special is the hot sotong (squid) sambal. After the noodles are fried with tofu and deep-fried fritters, the stall owner adds a generous topping of sotong sambal that's a little on the sweet side and outrageously pedas (hot). But it's what makes the squid really delicious. Not rubbery and full of flavour. The mee rebus is given similar treatment. The gravy's chockful of sweet potato and tomato flavour. Really yummy. Warning: The sambal can be really hot, so if you have a delicate tongue, ask for less chilli. Otherwise, cool down with Jalil Special Ice Kacang, topped with a scoop of ice-cream. Location: Esplanade food court, near Fort Cornwallis. From RM4. Closed Sunday.
