Mee goreng mamak is one of those local dishes that transcends all temporal boundaries. Be it for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner, supper, or some insane hour of the night or early morning, you can easily find a 24-hour mamak restaurant ready to serve a freshly cooked plate of fried noodles just for you.

You might be surprised to learn that cooking up your own batch of fragrant, spicy noodles is entirely possible in your very own home! It’s easier than you might think – just follow the recipe below.

While the proteins and vegetables used may differ from one recipe to another, yellow noodles are a must, as is the dark sauce that coats each strand. Now, without further ado:

Ingredients

• 300g yellow noodles
• 12 large prawns, peeled and deveined
• 200g sliced beef
• 4 tbsp crushed, roasted or fried peanuts
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 bunch mustard leaves
• 1/4 cup bean sprouts
• 1 yam, peeled
• 1 boiled potato, cut into cubes
• 1/4 tomato, quartered
• 1 fried tofu, cut into cubes
• 1 prawn fritter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup prawn stock
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 3 tbsp cooking oil plus extra for seasoning the wok
• 3 tbsp fried shallots
• 2 green chilies, sliced thin

For the sauce:

• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp thick soya sauce
• 1 tbsp sweet soya sauce
• 1 tbsp cooking caramel
• 1 calamansi lime

Aromatics:

• 12 shallots
• 12 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp
• 2 tbsp cili boh

Method

• In a small pot, cover the yam with water and bring to a boil. Once the yam is tender, mash it with about 3 tablespoons of the same boiled water and set aside.
• Using a food processor, blend the aromatic ingredients until fine.
• Heat and season your wok by wiping the surface with a thin layer of oil using a paper towel. You will know your wok is hot enough when the layer of oil has dried up and the wok seems to glow.

• Add the cooking oil and allow it to reach temperature of 180-200°C.
• Add 5 tablespoons of the aromatic mixture and fry until it has darkened and the oil has separated and risen to the top (pecah minyak).
• Add the prawns and beef and stir through. Sprinkle the sugar over the meat. If you’re great at using a wok, toss the contents and let the flame lick the ingredients until the prawns and beef are cooked through.
• Add the tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of mashed yam. Continue tossing to bring out the juices of the tomato.
• Add the yellow noodles and water, and stir or flip until the noodles are cooked. Use the flame to lick the noodles.

• Next, add the prawn fritters, tofu, potatoes, mustard leaves, bean sprouts, 3 tablespoons of crushed peanuts, and 2 teaspoons of the dark sauce mixture.
• Add the prawn stock and stir or flip the ingredients until the liquids have been absorbed and the vegetables have wilted. You want the noodles to be wet, but not saucy.
• Add 1 more tablespoon of crushed peanuts and sprinkle salt over the noodles, do a quick stir, and then create a well in the middle of the noodles.
• Pour the eggs into the well, allowing it to sit for a few seconds before lightly scrambling and mixing it with the rest of the noodles.

• Transfer the noodles to a serving dish, and sprinkle fried shallots and sliced chillies all over.
• Serve hot and enjoy!

Tips

• Boil the yam with vegetables or chicken stock for extra flavour.
• Do not attempt to flame the noodles if you’re cooking in a small, enclosed kitchen or if you don’t know what you’re doing.
• It can get very smoky cooking this dish, so disable your smoke detector, cook outdoors, or use a fan to blow the smoke away.
• You can serve your mee goreng mamak with extra calamansi lime on the side, sliced in halves to allow for easy squeezing.

This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of her people, food and places.