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KL Hokkien Mee is a must-try dish from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Famous for its dark, rich sauce and chewy noodles, this recipe is made with pork fat for an authentic flavor.
KL Hokkien Mee Recipe
KL Hokkien Mee is a classic dish that truly represents the vibrant food scene in Kuala Lumpur. This popular noodle dish comes with thick, chewy noodles stir-fried with pork, prawn, and a rich dark soy sauce. What sets KL Hokkien Mee apart is its smoky flavor and satisfying texture. It’s often served with crispy pork lard and a spicy sambal on the side, adding an extra layer of taste. If you’re exploring Malaysian cuisine, KL Hokkien Mee is a must-try, offering a delicious taste of Kuala Lumpur’s culinary heritage.
Different Types Of Hokkien Mee
KL Hokkien Mee is different from the Singaporea Hokkien Mee and Penang Hokkien Mee. The KL version is famous for its dark, flavorful sauce. The thick noodles are braised in this rich sauce, giving them a unique, aromatic taste.
Secret Ingredient
The secret to an authentic KL Hokkien Mee is the pork fat, which you should be able to get from your butcher. Pork fat adds an incredible depth of flavor to the dish, making it irresistibly tasty. If pork fat isn’t available, you can use a piece of pork belly with a good layer of fat on top as a substitute.
Sidenote: Pork fat and pork lard are similar but not identical. Pork fat is the raw fat from a pig, while pork lard is fat that has been fried and strained. Lard is often used for its rich flavor. For KL Hokkien Mee, pork lard adds great taste and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is only 554 calories per serving.
This recipe is contributed by Karen Low.
Other Popular Street Food Noodles
Here are a few popular Chinese noodles found in Malaysia:
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KL Hokkien Mee
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) pork belly
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Pork Belly Marinade:
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ground white pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Other Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons pork oil , recipe below
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 medium-sized shrimp, shelled, deveined and tails removed
- fish balls, sliced into halves
- 1 cup packed sliced Napa cabbage
- 250 g (8 oz) thick hokkien noodles
- 4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
- 3/4 cup chicken or pork stock
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ground white pepper, to taste
- pork lard/chu yau cha, recipe below
- sambal, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the pork belly by removing the skin and separating the fat from the meat. Slice the meat into 1-cm pieces and mix it with the ingredients in the Pork Belly Marinade. Let it marinate for 30 minutes. While the pork marinates, cook the noodles according to the package instructions, then drain and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until smooth. Set aside.
Making Pork Oil and Pork Lard:
- Dice the pork fat into small cubes or lardons. Heat a wok over medium to high heat. Add the diced pork fat and cook until it turns crispy and golden, rendering the fat into pork lard.
- Remove the crispy pork lard (chu yau cha) from the oil and drain it on paper towels. Once cooled, store the pork lard in an airtight container or jar. Pour the pork oil into a sterilized, airtight glass jar for storage
Making KL Hokkien Mee:
- Heat a wok over high heat and add about 2 tablespoons of pork oil, heating it until it starts to smoke. Add the marinated pork belly and fry quickly, being cautious of the hot, spitting oil. Once the pork is just browned, add the garlic, shrimp, and fish balls, and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Toss in the Napa cabbage and cook for another 10 seconds. Finally, add the noodles and give everything a quick toss.
- Add the dark soy sauce and soy sauce to the wok, mixing well to coat the noodles. If the color isn’t dark enough, add more dark soy sauce. Pour in the stock, sprinkle in the sugar and white pepper, and add a small handful of pork lard. Stir-fry to combine everything thoroughly. Taste the sauce and adjust the saltiness and sweetness to your liking.
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the wok and toss until the sauce thickens and evenly coats the noodles. Serve the noodles on plates and spoon the gravy over the top. Garnish with additional chu yau cha if desired, along with a spoonful of sambal.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My brother told me, that the one thing he regrets, is not learning my late mum’s recipe for Hokkien mee. However, I am more than grateful, elated even, that I can ‘reclaim’ my mother’s recipe, by making my own with your beautiful guidance. Thank you so much, this means a lot more to me than you think. Thank you again.
Thanks Soo Ann!
Hi Bee,
Being a Malaysian, this is one of my favorite dishes. My late mom made really, really good Hokkien mee. All our neighbors raved about it. I was looking for this recipe since I never did learn from my Mom how to make it. Very unfortunate.
And your recipe struck me as the most authentic since you used pork lard. That was the secret ingredient. I made this tonight and my husband and I enjoyed except that it was a little too sweet. Next time, I would not add more sugar on top of the 4 tablespoons of dark soy sauce. Otherwise, I think your recipe is the closest to the real Hokkien mee. Thank you.
Thanks!
Hi Lucy,
I understand how you feel, as I have lost my mum before learning more from her…but isn’t it nice, that we can now make our own legacies? :) I would also like to thank you for the sugar suggestion, as my family’s palate is NOT pro-sugar…I might try adding some honey, and then checking the consistency of the thickness of the sauce! Thank you!