Recipe: how to make the most delicious bami goreng

In her book Noodles, our former colleague Emma de Thouars shares 40 noodle recipes. From super-quick 1-minute noodle sauce to buttery breakfast noodles, ice-cold kimchi noodles and Korean corn dogs with ramen crispies. In Noodles, Emma shows that making a portion of noodles is even easier than throwing together ‘a quick pasta’. Fresh, fatty spring onion and ginger noodles, for example, and instant noodles with a sexy broth. And what about delicious spaghetti vongole or soto ajam? Often vegetarian, or with the option to replace the meat. Naturally, one classic that cannot be missing from her book is bami goreng. 

Emma’s bami goreng 

Emma: ‘Whenever I think of bami goreng, I always think of my co-podcast host Brian. Probably because one time, when Marieke (our other co-host) and I were sprawled out on the sofa, ready to order food, he suggested quickly making bami goreng. He slipped out to the supermarket for a leek and then quietly made noodles for us in my own kitchen as if it were nothing. Brian seasons the noodles with ‘three rounds’ of ketjap. That means rotating your wrist in a circle three times over the wok. Sweet, right? For convenience, I’ve converted it into tablespoons. I also use a little less vegetable than Brian, but simply serve broccoli alongside it. If you don’t feel like frying onions yourself, you can of course use ready-made fried onions.’

How to make the bami goreng 

• Bring a large pan of generously salted water to the boil. Cook the noodles as indicated on the package. Drain and rinse under cold running water so they do not continue cooking.
• Meanwhile, cut 1 onion into thin rings.
• Heat a layer of oil in a wok and deep-fry the onion rings in it for about 8 minutes until golden brown and crisp. The oil must not be too hot; it should gently bubble the whole time, otherwise the onions will burn.
• Drain the onions, but reserve the oil, and leave them to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
• Season with a pinch of Maldon salt.
• Finely chop the second onion, the garlic and the white part of the spring onion.
• Return the onion oil to the pan (use neutral oil if you are using ready-made fried onions), heat over medium-high heat and sauté the garlic and spring onion white for about 1 minute.
• Add the chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes, until the onion is slightly darkened.
• Add the ketjap, followed by the noodles, and fry over high heat for a few minutes until the noodles are dry.
• Cut the spring onion greens into thin rings and mix them through the bami.
• Transfer the noodles to a plate and wipe the wok clean.
• Heat a few tablespoons of oil in the wok and fry the egg in it.
• Place the egg on the noodles, finish with the crispy onions and some sambal, and serve.