[Malaysian Recipes] Wonton Noodles (Wantan Mee) (2024)

In Malaysia, the basic Wonton Noodles are usually egg noodles tossed in a sauce, topped with Char Siu (Bbq pork), wontons, choy sum and pickled green chillies. I should emphasize that the pickled green chillies are as essential to this dish as are the rest of the ingredients to achieve that authentic balance, and they are really easy to prepare too. In fact, if you just use store-bought Char Siu (or even wontons too), making this dish is really easy. Just make sure that you get good quality fresh egg noodles (not too thin) and your favourite brand of ready-made wonton skins.

Wonton Noodles (Wantan Mee)
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

400g (14 oz) fresh wonton noodles (egg noodles)
1/2 bunch choy sum, washed and cut into 2 inch lengths
Vegetable oil

Toppings, to serve:

Approx 300g (10 oz) char siu pork, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
16-20 wontons (use pre-made frozen wontons, or see below for Wonton recipe)*
Pickled green chillies (see below for recipe)**
Ground white pepper
Sriracha chilli sauce, to serve (Recommended!)

A. Seasoning Sauce (per serving of noodles), mixed well:

1 tbsp thick dark soy sauce (Cheong Chan brand thick caramel)
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp sugar
Dash of Golden Mountain sauce (optional)

B. Mushroom Sauce:
5-6 Chinese dried black mushrooms, stems removed
1 cup warm water
2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed with the back of a knife
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp mushroom flavoured soy (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water

C. Lard or Garlic oil:

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (alternatively, use diced pork lard/fat)
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method:

Prepare Mushroom Sauce (B):
Soak mushrooms in 1 cup warm water until softened. Squeeze out excess water from mushrooms, set aside, and reserve the soaking liquid for later. Slice the mushrooms if desired. Heat up 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Fry the garlic and mushrooms for 1 minute. Then add the rest of the ingredients and reserved soaking liquid, except for the cornstarch solution. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add cornstarch solution and stir until the sauce boils and thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Turn off the heat, cover the saucepan and set aside.

Prepare Lard or Garlic oil (C):
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the lard or garlic (whichever you prefer) over low-medium heat until it starts to turn lightly golden in colour and crisp. Transfer immediately to a heat proof bowl and set aside.

When ready to serve, follow the steps below:

1. Cook vegetables:
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and a pinch of salt and sugar. Blanch the choy sum stems first, followed by the leaves. Remove, drain and set aside.

2. Cook wontons:
Boil water in pot and cook the wontons in batches for about 1-2 minutes until cooked. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. Drain and set aside. Alternatively, add them to some prepared chicken broth and garnish with spring onions.

3. Prepare noodles:
In a shallow serving bowl, place 1 serve of the seasoning sauce (A) and lard/garlic oil (C).

With the same boiling water used for blanching the vegetables, bring it to a rolling boil, and cook 1 bundle (100g / 3oz) of noodles for about 30 seconds or until done to your liking. Use a large sieve to drain the noodles and run it under cold running tap water for 5 seconds, then dip the noodles in the boiling water again just to warm it up. Transfer the noodles into the serving bowl and toss them in the seasoning sauce. Add 6 tbsp of the mushroom sauce (B) and toss again. Add a dash of white pepper.

Garnish the noodles with choy sum, wontons and sliced char siu pork. Serve immediately wth pickled green chillies and a bowl of wonton soup. If you like it spicy, mix the noodles with some Sriracha chilli sauce. Enjoy!