Fried Bee Hoon!

One could possibly get sick of eating Fried Bee Hoon in Singapore. You get it everywhere! You get it at almost every single family gathering.. right? with chicken curry.

but. since coming here, i've so far only cooked fried bee hoon once. and so, i had a craving to eat fried bee hoon that day and decided to cook it!

For anyone who doesn't know, bee hoon is basically thin vermicelli noodles. I only like this kind of noodles in fried bee hoon. Not in laksa, not in hokkien mee.

I am so proud of this. I love it.

Ingredients (It's not going to be exact, cause it has been a while)

Dried thin vermicelli noodles
You can really add what you like,
Can of straw mushrooms, sliced into halves (cause i love them)
Finely sliced cabbage
Finely sliced carrots (i don't like carrots, but i don't mind them here, cause i slice them so finely)
Pork, which i thinly sliced and marinated for ard an hour in soy sauce, sesame oil and a little hua diao (cooking wine)
Onions
Garlic

For seasonings (i really just add whatever)

Soy sauce
a little dark soy sauce for colour
oyster sauce
a little sesame oil
LOADS of fried shallots and its oil
ground white pepper. because black pepper just doesn't do it in this dish.

Directions

Slice up everything. and do all the prep beforehand.

Boil a pot of water. When it comes to a boil, add in the dried vermicelli noodles. Let it stay inside till, when tussled with a chop stick, separates. You know like how you cook instant noodles, and you keep poking at the noodles to see if it has separated? yah, like that. just that it does really separate, it just softens and sticks together in a big lump. Pour the water away, don't worry, you can leave a little water in there, no need to drain till dry. Cover with a lid, or a plate and just leave it there to steam.

In a wok, trust me, just use the biggest wok you have. Wok comes highly recommended. You don't want to know the mess you will create without a big wok.

Fry the onions, followed by garlic. Add in the carrots. then the cabbage. then the pork. Then the noodles.

Add in your seasonings. You can lower the fire while adding your seasonings so nothing burns.

This comes highly recommended too – use 2 pairs of long chopsticks.

one pair in each hand, start flipping and tossing the noodles around to get it well mixed. Remember to bring your fire back up.

and here's why it is called fried. you have to keep flipping and frying it. just keep stirring and tossing the noodles.

Add a huge amount of fried shallots and its oil. This will give the noodles a slightly sticky mouth feel which can be achieved by using another ingredient (another time).

Keep Going.

Keep Going.

You will reach a stage where the noodles actually look really good, it is tossed well and the colour looks even. Test and see if extra seasonings are needed.

Depending on what you eat this with, usually there's chicken curry somewhere near this dish, so you don't have to make the flavours too strong. but if you're eating it on its own, feel free!

Ta-da! You are finally there, chop some parsley or coriander and eat!

I need some bee hoon right now!