Thursday, January 14, 2010

Finally, Tuaran Mee Recipe!

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Finally, the recipe for Tuaran/Tamparuli mee (noodles). You won't find this recipe online (until now) and I don't think you even get to eat this anywhere but in Kota Kinabalu-Tuaran-Tamparuli because the dish originated from the Tuaran andTamparuli (small towns north of KK) and hasn't made it out of the state yet.

Tuaran and Tampurali mee are the same to me (for convenience, I'll use the term 'Tuaran noodles') although there may be some difference such as the width of the noodles, Tuaran noodles being very slightly narrower and rounder than Tamparuli noodles.

Tuaran noodles are ordinary fresh egg noodles without alkaline water so they don't give the springy bite you find in wonton noodles. The flour and eggs noodles smell so good that I am always tempted to eat them raw. The unusual thing about Tuaran noodles is that they are fried in oil first, then boiled and finally fried with egg. Fresh noodles, like fresh pasta, are impossible to fry. They will clump together in a soggy mess and if water is added, they will become pasty. The ingenious way of cooking fresh noodles by first lightly toasting them with some oil in the wok could have come about because toasting made them last longer without refridgeration. Remember Tuaran and Tampurali were sleepy countryside towns. When needed, the fried noodles are boiled and then fried. The lady who sold the noodles taught me the steps in preparing them for frying but I worried that the noodles, being heavy and wet, would break upon frying. But it's a new year and I want to try new recipes, just like you do.

To be sure, I dropped by a coffee shop near Austral Park to buy some roasted pork for the topping but the real reason was I was hoping to talk to the cook. Was I lucky, because the lady who owned the shop was tending to some customers and the cook happened to walk by. He confirmed that Tuaran noodles are first fried, then boiled, then fried again. Why, I asked, are they boiled? He answered, like a teacher talking to a dumb student, that if the noodles aren't boiled, they'll be too crunchy and stiff to fry. Oh. One more question, I quickly asked, seeing that the owner was moving towards us, when do I add the egg? I enjoy asking restaurant cooks their recipes and methods. Most of them will tell if the bosses aren't around.

I am very happy with the results of my first plate of Tuaran mee. The noodles aren't hard to fry and are not as greasy as the restaurants'. The greasiness is one reason I avoid Tuaran noodles. Even Yi turned out a good plate, better than mine (if Yi can cook, anyone can too). The frying, boiling, then frying make sense. The first frying is to dry the noodles out and to give them a toasted fragrance. My plate of noodles were slightly under-fried; more browning would give the noodles a slightly charred and toasted flavor. The boiling is to soften and re-hydrate the noodles so that water needn't be added during the next frying step, reducing breakage. Boiling the noodles also washes away most of the oil. The final frying is to season the noodles and to add an egg to give the noodles a slightly creamy taste and texture.

I buy Tuaran noodles at the Dah Yeh shops, second shop on the left. If you can't get Tuaran noodles, I think you may use fresh wonton noodles the same way.

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Fresh Tuaran egg noodles.

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First frying of the noodles.

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The noodles after the first frying and before boiling. The more browned or toasted the noodles, the better the flavor.

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Tuaran Fried Mee (2 persons)
2 'nests' of Tuaran mee
1/2 cup meat topping*
1 large handful of sawi/chai xin greens, in 4-5 cm lengths & blanched
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/2 t salt
white pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 t sugar
1 t chicken stock powder or a pinch of msg

*This can be slices of cha sau, sau rou (bbq & roasted pork) or fresh meat, seasoned and fried, or even cooked prawns and slices of fish if pork is not your meat of choice.

1. Heat up the wok and add 2 T (or more if like) of veg oil. When wok starts to smoke, throw in the noodles, loosening or fluffling them with your hands in the air. Spread out the noodles and let them fry a while before moving them around to get even frying. When some of the noodles start to brown, (turn over to see), turn over and fry another few minutes. More browning gives more flavor. Remove onto a plate. The fried noodles can keep for a few days in the fridge.

2. Boil a pot of water and add the fried noodles. Do not add too much noodles so that after adding the noodles, the water will come to a boil quickly. One way to make the water come to a boil quickly is to make sure there's plenty of water and little bit of noodles. Keeping the heat very high, stir the noodles gently and check for doneness by tasting. Do not let noodles cook too long. Drain well and quickly go to the next step because the noodles will soften and clump after the boiling. For this reason, it's best to have the pot side by side with the wok, timing it so that you can add the noodles from the pot to the wok without waiting too long from step 2 to 3.

3. Heat up the same wok, add 3 T of veg oil and pour in the egg. When egg is half cooked, add the noodles and toss well with a pair of chopsticks. Add the salt, sugar, pepper and chicken powder/msg. You may need to add more salt; adjust the seasoning. Add the cooked veg last and dish onto a serving plate. Scatter the topping over and serve with a hot chili sauce.

28 comments:

ann low said...

Now is past midnight. I'm already hungry after looking at this Tuaran Mee *.*

Anonymous said...

I love this mee !

Nghi

shirley said...

Thanks for sharing the secret to cooking tuaran mee. :) I have always love tuaran mee. It is a must for us to savor it whenever we're back in KK.

From a Johorean who grew up in KK and now living in Dallas. :)

lovy said...

What a delicious home cook Tuaran mee. May I know the shop at Dah Yeh is it opposite of Tsung Tsin school? Thanks

You have a very nice blog. Love it

Ivy Ong said...

Terri !! Good work!! The last time i went to Tuaran for the noodle, i saw the cook boiling them, toss and throw them into another 'hot' wok. So i followed similarly and they turned out soggy and terrible (missing the part having to fry them). Keep up the good work !! Blessings

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

This mee very similar to that one in Kuching-Kolot mee, I love this kind of mee. Thanks for sharing.

gerrie said...

Thank you for this! This looks miles better than the "original" ones.

gerrie said...

Sonia, this is definitely not like the Kuching Kolo Mee...:)

Anonymous said...

looks ok onli lah

MsMoon said...

This looks like a cross between fried HK noodles and fried SG bee hoon. Interesting! I would like to try these noodles one day! ~ Ms Moon^^

Jeri said...

Thank you ! Thank you ! Thank you ! Eternally grateful for this recipe, been googling for yonks and never found it ! :)

Anonymous said...

I have been looking for this, thanks loads! Now I can satisfy my partner's craving for this whenever it pops up!

Heatherfeather said...

That looks and sounds so incredibly delicious!

StuddedLilly said...

this is insanely yummy look drools!*

xo

Zurin said...

Oh yum Terri... trust you to find all the secrets!! :))

terri@adailyobsession said...

anncoo: do try cooking it

nghi: yes, can never get tired of it

shirley: wow, all the way frm dallas. hope you can fry up a plate of this there

iovy:oh dear. i think it's ching something. it's next to the coffee shop tt sells dim sum, which is next to the prok seller

ivy: thanks my dear

sonia: no no kolo mee is boiled then tossed in pork oil and seasoning (msg & salt) but tuaran mee is fried, not same

gerrie: ya, i told sonia

anon: i said your plate was better

ms moon: what r you waiting for, try cooking it

jeri: *bowing*

creatingobjectives: so have you cooked it yet?

heatherfeather: try it

studdedlily: :))

zurin: there's a reason i blog..

Monica said...

So far, I still can't find any good Tuaran Mee in KK town. I've tried the Tamparuli mee at Tamparuli before..It was good!!Guess really have to go Tuaran or Tamparuli to have those mee..

Thanks for the recipe!!

Anonymous said...

No, have not attempt that yet. C has not been craving for this, so I think I better go find those egg noodles and have a trial before she does! You know of anywhere stalls in KK that sell the noodles? In fact, this looks a bit like Beauford cha mee to me.

Anonymous said...

Opps, I saw where you got your noodles. @_@

Big Boys Oven said...

OMG! I must have this! :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing this well kept secret technique! Can you reveal the secret of the noodle recipe? :-))

KKtastebud

SoRMuiJAi said...

ooOoOoo interesting recipe! I can't wait to try it out!

I do something similar for the noodles. I usually steam them until cooked, That way they stay really chewy as it hasn't absorbed a heap of water. Then I pan fry until crispy! I might compare the two techniques!

Jolene said...

This is my favorite mee..good blog!

Anonymous said...

I always wanted to try Tuaran mee but could not find a halal one. Thanks for sharing the recipe now I can cook it instead...

Din, Austral Park.

weasel5i2 said...

You are AWESOME for posting this! I just got back to scorched Texas from Malaysia, where I spent some time in KK.. The Tuaran Mee at "Kedai Kopi Seng Hing" (@ Sinsuran Kompleks #2) was amazingly delicious, and I can't wait to go back again. Thank you for the recipe and info, can't wait to try making some!!

--ALH in TX

jolene said...

can we find tuaran mee in kl?

Alarice.biz said...

Hi, is it a specific type of noodles to use or any type of noodles will do as long as we follow the recipe and the steps?

Thanks

Bob said...

I have long to learn the correct way of cooking the tuaran mee. Thank for sharing.

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