Mie Goreng
Indonesian fried noodles with sweet soy sauce
The recipe
Mie Goreng is Indonesia's national fried noodle — the dish everyone knows. Yellow wheat noodles are stir-fried in a sweet-savory sauce of kecap manis, garlic, shallots, and a touch of chili, then topped with egg, chicken, shrimp, or just vegetables. The sweet soy sauce is the defining flavor — that and the smoky char from a screaming-hot wok. The dish crossed borders: it's the ancestor of Malaysian *mee goreng* and Singapore *mee goreng mamak*. The 2011 CNN poll named it one of the world's 50 most delicious foods. Every household has its own version.
Ingredients
Method
💡 Tips from the kitchen
- ·The wok must be screaming hot. That's what gives the noodles the smoky char.
- ·Don't overcook the vegetables — they should be just wilted and still crunchy.
- ·Indonesian mie goreng is sweeter than Malaysian or Chinese versions. The kecap manis is what makes it Indonesian.
The story
Did you know?
🇮🇩 Indonesia has 17,000+ islands — only 6,000 are inhabited.
Cook it yourself
Mie Goreng is one of Indonesia's heritage dishes. Want to try the recipe at home?
See the recipe →
