Nonya Fried Noodle – Straight from Bibik’s Mouth!

When it comes to matters of food and cooking, everyone knows how the Peranakan matriarch -- or “Bibik” as she’s called -- can be as touchy and ultra-territorial as a bull in mating season. Her recipe, she imperiously declares to all and sundry, is “the most authentic” (and everyone else’s is not worth a SH*T!)

It’s funny that every Peranakan household I’ve eaten at (and I’ve eaten at quite a few in my time) always makes that claim. Therefore if every family’s “version” of a particular dish is the “correct, authentic, and ONLY one”….  You get the picture?

Whatever the case may be, there’s no denying that most older Peranakans – female and male – are superb, passionate cooks. And for any food lover, the Peranakan kitchen is true paradise; just don’t EVER step on the culinary toes of a Bibik!

My own exposure to Peranankan cuisine came late in life; but it was near-instant love. With its heady mix of Malay, Chinese -- particularly Hokkien -- and even Western influence, how could an adventurous, liberal glutton like myself resist that food? In fact, every dish I tasted reminded me of something I ate from another cuisine in Singapore.

And I realized a few other things: that every home’s “version” of a dish varied from other homes, in style, ingredient and taste. And that there were a few standard or “must-have” dishes for formal Peranakan meals. Over the years, I’ve managed to “steal” recipes and cooking tips from some of the Peranakans I’ve known -- matriarchs, chefs, and so-called “authorities” on the culture. And this pilfered information has served me well in the kitchen.

This particular Nonya dish, for instance, is very similar to Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles, except that it uses an additional key ingredient in the paste -- taucheo. The garnishing is also far more elaborate.

Nonya Fried Noodle

Prawns                        200 g, boiled, then peeled and set aside the prawn heads and shells

Water                          2 cups

Pork belly                   200 g

Squid                           150 g

Chinese sausage         1, steamed for 10 mins and cut into strips

Oil/lard                        3 tbsp

Yellow flat noodle      400 g, washed and drained

Garlic                           1 tsp, minced

Bean sprouts               100 g

Salt                              1½  tsp

Sugar                           1 tsp

Light soy sauce           1 tsp

Dark soy sauce           ½ tbsp

Paste:

Preserved beans          1 tbsp, mashed

Garlic                           1 clove, minced

Garnishing:

Cucumber                   1, cut into thin strips

Egg                              1, fried into omelette and cut into thin strips

Red chillies                  2, large and cut into thin strips

Fried shallots               1 tbsp

Fried garlic                  1 tbsp

Fried lard crisps           1 tbsp

Pepper                         to taste

Method:

1. Saute preserved bean paste, garlic and prawn shells for 3 minutes. Add water, pork belly and simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, add squid and cook until it turns pink. Remove and set aside.
2. Remove pork belly and set aside till it cools. Cut squid and pork belly into thin strips.
3. Drain the prawn broth and set aside for later.
4. Boil the prawn broth and season with salt and sugar.
5. In a clean wok, fry noodle and minced garlic for 3 minutes under high flame. Add stock and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Add prawns, pork belly, squid and Chinese sausage and continue to simmer for another 1 minute.
7. Add bean sprouts and season with both light and dark soy sauce.
8. Serve it on a plate and top with all the garnishing.