Singapore Mei Fun (Mai Fun) recipe with Char Siu pork, carrot, red onions, shrimp and napa cabbage
I have received one request about how to make Chinese takeout Singapore fried Mei fun (Mai Fun)around one week ago. Before that request, I totally had no idea about how popular this dish is outside China. However it is really worth the popularity.
I guess you might be quite confused why this Singapore stuff food appears on Chinese takeout menu. Although it is named as Singapore chow Mei fun, this dish is not unique to Singapore. The Chinese name of this pan fried rice noodle recipe is “星州炒米粉” and it is usually served in tea restaurant in southern China and Hong Kong. It really combines several interesting ingredients for example Chinese char siu or sausage and golden curry powder from India. By the way, curry powder has become a really popular kitchen seasoning in Chinese kitchen now. And you should not feel surprised when hearing the stewed beef with curry and potato has been ranked as top 20 popular dishes in China now.Anyway, no matter where it comes from and why it is named as Singapore Mei fun, we can just enjoy yummy dishes.
Here are some tips about the ingredients
- For the curry, golden curry including powder and paste is high recommended since it contains large amount of turmeric powder, thus giving a golden color of the final dish.
- About Char Siu, if you just cannot find any store version Char Siu and not interested in making some at home too. You can replace it with Chinese sausage or bacon.
- About the Mei fun (Mai Fun): In this recipe, dried thin rice noodle is usually used. In addition, we have flat rice noodles used in beef chow fun. If possible, use Taiwanese Mei fun for this recipe because most of high quality Taiwanese Mei Fun provides a better texture and you will not end up with broken rice noodles.
Heat up around 1/2 tablespoon oil in pan and make a thin omelet. Then shred the egg omelet on your cutting board after cooling down.
Heat up around 1 tablespoon oil in wok over medium fire. Add shrimp and Char Siu meat or sausage or ham to fry for around 10 to 20 seconds until aroma. Add other side ingredients including carrot, green pepper, onion and cabbage to fry for another 30 seconds or until they are slightly soften. Spread the curry power on the mixture and mix well.
Add rice noodles in and after that stir in the stir fry sauce in. Make quick movements to coat all the contents with stir fry sauce evenly.
Add shredded egg omelet , mix well.
Enjoy!
- 100 g dried rice noodles
- 8 whole Shrimp ,peeled and deveined
- 2 whole Eggs
- 1 cup Shredded Napa Cabbage
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/2 cup shredded red onion
- 1 fresh green pepper ,shredded (I use half green and half red)
- 1 scallion or green onion ,cut into 2 inch sections
- 1/3 cup Chinese Char Siu or sausage ,finely sliced or shredded
- 1.5 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1/2 tbsp. golden curry powder
- 1 tbsp. cooking wine
- 1/2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tsp. dark soy sauce
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp. oyster sauce ,optional
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt or as needed
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Pre-soak the rice noodles for around 20 to 30 minutes until soft and then drain.
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Heat up around 1/2 tablespoon oil in pan and make a thin omelet. Then shred the egg omelet on your cutting board after cooling down.
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Slice other ingredients and mix the stir fry sauce in a small bowl.
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Heat up around 1 tablespoon oil in wok over medium fire. Add shrimp and Char Siu meat or sausage or ham to fry for around 10 to 20 seconds until aroma. Add other side ingredients including carrot, green pepper, onion and cabbage to fry for another 30 seconds or until they are slightly soften.
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Spread the curry power on the mixture and mix well.
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Add rice noodles in and after that stir in the stir fry sauce in. Make quick movements to coat all the contents with stir fry sauce evenly.
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Add shredded egg omelet and scallions or green onions. Fry for another 20 second or so.
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Transfer out and serve hot.
Since both soy sauce and oyster sauce contains salt, so I spare salt in this recipe. For any reason you need to cut or reduce any of the ingredients, increase the salt amount accordingly.
Please test with small batch firstly as chow Mei fun or other rice noodles needs frying practices. If you are trying to make a larger batch, make sure you get a larger wok and stronger fire.
This was deeeeelicious! Definitely satisfied my restaurant craving. We made with chicken and shrimp, only 2tsps of oil, and used reduced sodium soy sauce (we didn’t have regular or dark). The portions were huge! This could easily make 3-4 portions for those who eat a little less.
Thanks Valerie. When eating fried noodles, my family members always eats a lot. I serve them as a meal, sometimes with soups.
Every year for Thanksgiving my family makes food from different cultures. This year we chose Asian. Your website has been EXTREMELY helpful. This is a favorite of most of my family and I had no idea it was this easy. Thanks so much! Hope it turns out well tomorrow. Wish us luck lol
Dionne,
Happy cooking and Happy Thanksgiving!
I subbed the meat and eggs for tofu and tempeh to make it a full plant based meal and it did not disappoint. The tofu was fresh firm and the tempeh was sprouted chickpea. I also threw in a little ketjap manis for a sweet soy taste and halved the sugar.
Thanks for the recipe!
I just finished making your recipe for Singapore Mei Fun and it was so delicious. I thank you for sharing the recipe! This is definitely one to save for my recipe box! Will be making this many times!!!
Thanks Marilyn so much for this lovely feedback. Happy cooking.
I love a good Singapore noodle dish from our local Chinese restaurant here in Seattle. It would be fun to recreate it at home and thanks to you I might.
The noodles need to soak in cold or warm water?
Also do you have a site where I could order an authentic chinese wok already seasoned?
Thank you Elaine for this recipe!
Claudia,
I usually soak them in warm water to fasten the process.
I am sorry that I have no idea about where to buy seasoned wok. But the step is quite easy and you can finish at home easily. Get some fat （animal fat） and ginger slices, brush the wok carefully with the fat and ginger. Then wash with hot water. Dry and repeat this fro 2 times and then your wok is well seasoned.
Hi. Elaine
I found your website from this very recipe on Pinterest. This used to be my absolute favorite takeout meal. Question is there any way to lighten the sodium level in this recipe? I have to watch my salt intake but would love to make this as it sounds delicious. Please let me know.
Christina,
There is low sodium soy sauce sold. If you need to water the salt taking, you can use low sodium soy sauce and skip oyster sauce, and slightly reduce the amount of salt. I hope this helps. happy cooking!
I made it it taste very good but was a little dry
This is my favorite chinese dish. Your recipe is much better than from a restaurant. When I get it from my local Chinese restaurant they serve it with a red colored hot sauce that is added last. Can I get that recipe please as well? I usually get extra and add it when I reheat in the wok.
Please and thank you
Don
Don,
There are lots of chili sauce in Chinese cuisine. So it is hard to me to judge. Maybe it is a secret recipe from this restaurant. Can you drop me a picture via FB or IS？