Mie goreng facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mie goreng

Mie goreng with a krupuk cracker, acar pickles, sambal sauce and a chicken wing, served at a restaurant in Bintan, Indonesia
Alternative names	Bakmi goreng, bami goreng, mi goreng
Type	Noodle
Course	Main course
Place of origin	Indonesia
Region or state	Nationwide
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Fried noodles with chicken, meat or prawn

Mie goreng (say "mee go-reng") means "fried noodles" in Indonesian. It is a super popular dish from Indonesia. This tasty meal is made by stir-frying thin yellow noodles.

Chefs cook the noodles in cooking oil with garlic and onions. They often add fried prawns, chicken, beef, or bakso (meatballs). You'll also find chili, different kinds of cabbage, tomatoes, and egg. Many other vegetables are usually included too. You can find Mie goreng everywhere in Indonesia. It's sold by street vendors, small local shops called warungs, and even fancy restaurants.

The Story of Mie Goreng

Stir-frying mie goreng Jawa in a wok

Mie goreng is one of the most common dishes in Indonesia. Its history is linked to Chinese Indonesian cuisine. Many Indonesian foods, like bakmi and bakso, show Chinese influences.

Mie goreng came from a Chinese noodle dish called chow mein. Chinese immigrants likely brought it to Indonesia. But over time, Mie goreng became truly Indonesian.

For example, people started adding sweet soy sauce to make it a bit sweet. They also sprinkle fried shallots on top. And for a spicy kick, they add sambal (a chili sauce). Also, because most Indonesians are Muslim, pork is not used. Instead, chefs use shrimp, chicken, or beef.

How to Make Mie Goreng

Traditional Mie goreng uses yellow wheat noodles. These noodles are stir-fried with chopped shallots, onion, and garlic. It's seasoned with soy sauce, and usually includes egg, vegetables, chicken, meat, or seafood.

Sometimes, people use dried instant noodles instead of fresh ones. A common way to make it at home is to use instant noodle seasoning packets. You just add an egg and vegetables. Real Mie goreng uses fresh ingredients and spices. But for quick meals, some people use instant spice pastes.

You can make similar dishes by changing the noodles. For example, bihun goreng uses thin rice noodles called bihun. Kwetiau goreng uses thick, flat rice noodles called kwetiau.

Different Kinds of Mie Goreng

Mie goreng Aceh.

There are many types of Mie goreng! They are often named after their main ingredients or where they come from.

• Mie goreng ayam: This is the most common type. It uses chicken, shallots, garlic, leek, sweet soy sauce, egg, and vegetables.
• Mie goreng ayam penyet: This version has ayam penyet (smashed fried chicken with chili sauce) on top.
• Mie goreng sapi: This is like the regular Mie goreng, but it uses beef.
• Mie goreng kambing: This one uses goat meat or mutton.
• Mie goreng udang: This type uses shrimp.
• Mie goreng seafood: This dish has a mix of seafood, like fish, squid, and shrimp.
• Mie goreng Aceh: This spicy version comes from Aceh province. It uses thicker noodles, like spaghetti, and a rich, curry-like sauce.
• Mie goreng Jawa: From Central Java, this type uses sweet soy sauce, egg, chicken, and vegetables. Street vendors often sell it with mie rebus (boiled noodles).
• Mie goreng tek-tek: This is sold by street vendors who hit their wok (a large cooking pan). The "tek-tek" sound tells people they are selling food. You often find them selling it with nasi goreng (fried rice).
• Mie goreng dhog-dhog: Also called Mie goreng Surabaya, this is from Surabaya city. The vendors use a large wooden drum that makes a "dhog-dhog" sound to announce their presence.

Instant version of mie goreng

• Indomie Mi goreng: This is the super popular instant version of Mie goreng. It's famous in Indonesia and many other countries. Even though it's called "fried," you actually boil these noodles. Then you drain the water and mix them with special seasonings. It tastes very similar to real Mie goreng, especially with the sweet soy sauce and crispy fried shallots.

Sometimes, Indonesians call similar foreign noodle dishes "Mie goreng." For example, chow mein might be called mie goreng Tionghoa (Chinese Mie goreng). Yakisoba might be called mie goreng Jepang (Japanese Mie goreng).

Gallery

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  Basic mie goreng tek-tek sold by travelling street vendor

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  Mie goreng with chicken and shrimp in Jakarta

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  Mie goreng udang with shrimp

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  Mie goreng Jawa, Javanese style seasoned with kecap

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  Mie goreng Aceh

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  Mie goreng Bali

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  Mie goreng served as part of hotel breakfast buffet

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  Mie goreng and nasi goreng combo, a hotel breakfast buffet