The fat, golden, spaghetti-like, oiled egg noodle was the first fresh noodle to break through the ethnic barrier and make its way out of specialist shops and into the supermarket. I have only to see it to get an instant craving for Indian mee goreng.

These spicy fried noodles are studded with potato, tomato, bean sprouts and egg, often including dried chillies, dried shrimp paste (belacan), prawns, chicken, dried beancurd cake and good old tomato ketchup, before being finished with shredded iceberg lettuce and a big squeeze of lime or lemon. My recipe, a simplified version, is a product of multicultural Singapore.

Oiled egg noodles were brought to Malaysia by the Hokkien Chinese from the province of Fujian, and became the backbone of such dishes as mee goreng (mee means fresh yellow noodle, and goreng means fried). Then the mainly Muslim southern Indians who migrated to Singapore adapted the local ingredients to their own taste, and Indian mee goreng became a hawker-stall favourite. In Britain, oiled egg noodles are softer than those in Asia, so don’t feel that you have to parboil them. All they need is a quick rinse in boiling water before tossing in a hot wok for heating through.

INDIAN MEE GORENG

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 10 min

Serves 4

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
100g bean sprouts
1 small red chilli, chopped
2 boiled potatoes, diced
1 tomato, diced
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
½ tsp each salt and sugar
½ tsp turmeric
500g fresh oiled egg noodles
250g king prawns, cooked 1 egg, beaten
½ iceberg lettuce, shredded
2 spring onions, finely sliced
1 lime or lemon, quartered

METHOD: Heat the wok, then add the oil. When hot, add the onion and fry until soft. Add the bean sprouts and chilli, tossing well. Add the potato, tomato, sauces, salt, sugar and turmeric and cook over a high heat, stirring until mixed. Pour boiling water over the noodles, then drain.

Add the noodles and prawns and toss to heat through. Push the noodles to one side of the wok, pour in the egg, cover with the noodles and leave to set for 30 seconds. Toss well with the noodles, adding a dash of water if dry.

Serve on a warm plate, scattered with shredded lettuce and spring onions, with lime or lemon wedges for squeezing.

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